Yes. The Direction of the Division of Consumer Affairs or a board shall suspend the license if they receive a report that there is a default of a state of federal direct or guaranteed educational loan. A license can be reinstated upon proof of cure of the defaulted loan.

If you are having issues related to your professional license, call me at 973-377-0007 for a free consultation.

Licensing boards have a broad mandate to regulate a conduct of their licensees. For example, if you look at the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiner’s website, the second sentence on that website reads:

New Jersey’s Medical Board is responsible for protecting the public’s health and safety by determining qualifications of applicant’s for licensure, establishing st____f or practice, and disciplining licensees who do not adhere to those requirements.

The same type of mandate can be found with respect to other health care and non-health care licensing boards in the State of New Jersey. Under New Jersey Uniform Enforcement Act, boards are given to investigate the activities of licensees. These investigations can include matters relating to the practice, as well as matters taking place outside the licensees practice. One example, N.J.S.A. 45:1-21 states:

• A Board may refuse to admit a person to an examination or may refuse to issue or may suspend or revoke any Certification, Registration or License issued by the board upon proof that the applicant or holder of such Certificate, Registration or License:

  Has been convicted of, or engaged in acts constituting, any crime or offense involving moral turpitude or relating adversely to the activity regulated by the board. For the purposes of this sub-section, a Judgment of Conviction or a plea of guilty non-volt, non-condendary or any such disposition of alleged criminal activity shall be deemed a conviction:

This section gives the board the broad mandate, criminal activity that occurred either in the practice or outside the practice.

Q. What types of activities within the practice subject a licensee to discipline?

A. N.J.S.A.45:1-21 lists the various grounds under which a board may suspend or revoke a license. Among the items are:

• Where a license is being maintained through fraud, deception or misrepresentation.
• Has a licensee engaged in the use or employment of dishonestly, fraud, deception, misrepresentation, false promise or false pretense.
• Where the licensee has engaged in gross negligence, gross malpractice or gross incompetence, which damaged or endangered the life, health, welfare, safety or property of any person.
• Has engaged in repeated acts of negligence, malpractice or incompetence.
• Where the licensee is engaged in professional or occupational misconduct as may be determined by the board.
• Where the licensee has had a license issued by another state, agency or authority revoked or suspended.
• Where the licensee is engaged in drug or alcohol use that is likely to impair the ability to practice the profession or occupation with reasonable skill and safety.
• Where the licensee has advertised fraudulently in any manner.

If you have recently been questioned by your board, or are currently under investigation, contact me at 973-377-0007 to discuss your matter. The call is free and confidential.

The short answer is no. Absent a finding by a Court or other authority, the Plan’s request for payment is a demand. However, a practitioner has to be very careful upon receipt of such a demand.

If you are a practicing Physician and need legal assistance, contact my office for a free consultation.

You need to check your hospital staff by-laws, but generally the answer is yes.

Hospitals have the right to varying levels of discipline based upon board discipline. The by-laws usually have procedures in place which spell out the staff members rights in a proceeding. If you are an employee there are usually additional rules which govern employee conduct.

If you are facing disciplinary matters that could impact your ability to practice medicine, spend a few minutes speaking with an attorney. If you’d like a free consultation, contact Attorney Rich West at 1-973-377-0007.

The New Jersey Attorney General continues to be aggressive in its efforts to combat prescription drug abuse. The Attorney General has filed a complaint seeking to temporarily suspend the medical license of a doctor accused of prescribing excessive amounts of painkillers and anabolic steroids.

This action is consistent with previously announced efforts to vigorously target abusive prescribing practices.

You can read the complete article here – http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/state_calls_old_bridge_doctor.html

You need to review the terms of any plan where you are a provider to determine what your reporting obligations are.

However, even if there is not a reporting requirement, most plans have access to the National Practitioner Database (NPDB), which captures disciplinary matters.

If you are Doctor, Nurse or Pharmacist and are facing disciplinary charges, why not speak to an experienced NJ healthcare license defense attorney for free….and find out what you’re facing.

Call me at 973-377-0007.

Yes, most plans have very detailed rules for provider conduct, so that if there was any type of discipline entered by a board, the plan may have the ability to suspend or terminate a provider.

There may be an appeal process, where a credentialing body evaluates the matter. You need to carefully review the provider agreement to see what your rights and responsibilities are.

The short answer is that it depends. In New Jersey, a practitioners character and fitness are carefully considered by the various boards for initial licensing, as well as renewals.

For example, a person convicted of a crime may be subject to broad discipline, even if that crime had nothing to do with the licensees practice.

If your professional license is being threatened, pick up the phone and call me for a no-obligation, no-pressure, free consultation at 1-973-377-0007.

You need to carefully check your insurance policy. Some liability insurance policies include coverage for regulatory/licensing investigations.

Regardless, if you are currently under investigation….talk to an attorney that understands and works with the NJ licensing boards.

I offer a free consultation for licensed professionals throughout the state that need guidance. I can be reached at 937-377-0007.