Coppersmith Brockelman’s Karen Owens recently shared her expertise about the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s anti-discrimination policies during a presentation to the Arizona Society of Healthcare Attorneys. She co-presented with Janice Dinner, Senior Associate General Counsel at Banner Health.

The program covered Section 1557 of the ACA, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in a wide range of health programs and activities. It specifically addressed the obligations that Section 1557 places on providers, insurers, and health care employers in the way they interact with disabled people, those with limited English capabilities, and, at least at present, transgender people.

Karen has extensive experience representing health care systems, hospitals, clinics, and other providers in matters of quality management, medical staff credentialing and peer review, medical staff structures, bylaws and confidentiality, as well as National Practitioner Data Bank, state professional board, and other government reporting.  She works actively on patient-related legal issues such as refusal of treatment, restraints, and advance directives.