The California Court of Appeal has found that a health care provider may be disciplined for failing to return phone calls during a critical period following a procedure.

Donating and receiving organs quite often involves family members partnering toward a single medical goal. Despite the common medical issues between the two parties, keeping personal medical information private is nevertheless essential.

A recent appellate decision provides a cautionary tale on how the courts may view a physician’s actions as self-serving — and thus not deserving the legal protections afforded to actual health care.

When a treating physician believes that a referral to another specialist is appropriate, a denied authorization does not mean that the physician should just quietly soldier on.