Obamacare Means Big Business for Lawyers

Nossaman Partner Mary Powers Antoine was quoted in the Sacramento Business Journal article "Obamacare means big business for lawyers."  The article focuses on health care attorneys in the Sacramento area and the expected increase in demand for their services to help businesses navigate through Obamacare, especially the employer mandate and expanded coverage through health-care exchanges kicking off next year.

"We're very busy helping our clients navigate through all the issues related to Covered California," Ms. Antoine is quoted as saying, referring to the new state health benefit exchange, which will offer insurance to individuals and small businesses starting in 2014. 

The article notes that "Nossaman LLP has a big presence in the managed care marketplace, working with managed care health plans and hospitals."  The article also mentions that Assemblyman John Knox, who co-authored the Knox-Keene Act that regulates health maintenance organizations, was among Nossaman's founders.

The article stated that Nossaman has added several associates in the past 18 months to the health care practice.  "We are absolutely looking for managed care and health plan expertise," Ms. Antoine added.

Ms. Antoine remarked that "compliance has become more important and focus on quality of care has ratcheted up significantly because it helps differentiate one hospital from another – and it affects reimbursement."  She continued, saying that part of the problem is the federal law was drafted and passed so quickly it wasn't carefully vetted by the people who have to live with it, "so there are internal inconsistencies."