Ahead of the Curve

The year 2020 undoubtedly will go down in history for ushering in an enormous chapter of change in all social and economic sectors. Healthcare law is no exception. However, for one legal expert, the writing has been on the wall for years; so, he shaped his law firm to champion new approaches to knowledgeable, reliable, cost effective healthcare-focused law … ahead of the curve.

 

In 2016, Ben Assad Mirza, a certified public accountant and attorney, already had a successful career in civil litigation. His pedigree includes a Master of Law in Taxation (concentration in Mergers & Acquisitions); a Juris Doctor; and a Bachelor in Accounting; in addition to Certification in Health Care Compliance. Nevertheless, he was ready for new challenges and joined a large health system in south Florida where he served as in-house counsel and began his own second career chapter.

 

Inside the health system he discovered that professional operational silos resulted in gaps of knowledge between policy makers, physicians, administration and allied health professionals. To deepen his own understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of health care he built upon his skills toolkit in finance and law with credentials in public health, earning his Master in Public Health from Yale.

 

“Stacking and honing skills makes me a stronger team member,” says Mirza, “To truly improve health care, the industry needs individuals who can strategically navigate the system.”

 

Immersed in health care delivery trends of consolidation, mergers, acquisitions and the current economic disruption of COVID-19, Mirza recognized the triggers for cost containment urgency. A fresh look at a more efficient delivery of legal services evolved. Eliminating the old ways of nickel and dime fees buried in client billing was needed, according to Mirza.

 

“Our aim is to bring our clients value,” he said, “and so we launched a new predictable fee model as a means to deliver that value.” 

 

His practice, Healthcare Law Partners, LLC has pioneered fixed fee representation, Counselor On-Call, and is currently one of few, if not the only, healthcare firm in the country to offer the option.

According to Mirza, hospitals and practice groups want a predictable plan of services and costs up-front. Clients want to see law firms leverage personalized advice from a bank of document templates and transfer the cost savings to the client.

 

“Administrators and physicians need practical legal advice, but much of what we do in law is predictable. Our clients tell us their issues and we offer knowledgeable counsel based on standardized protocols, which shortens the turnaround time to fully executed contracts and strategic counsel,” Mirza claims “This uncharacteristic practice drives down costs and speeds up workflow and revenue actualization with evidence-based solutions, providing mutual benefit.”

 

Another common complaint is that many law firms are inherently ‘too lawyerly’ while ignoring the rest of the patient care and business concerns that healthcare providers have.

 

Healthcare professionals often attempt to launch innovative patient care directions only to get blindsided by regulations or financial barriers. Mirza’s firm is immersed in the healthcare triangle balancing patient care, finance and regulations. He attempts to help successfully navigate the healthcare triangle to accelerate intended advancements.

 

“Clients need their attorneys to translate legal jargon, cut through paperwork and protocol, but also understand the nuances and interconnections of healthcare. Clients want practical legal advice that is actionable. In fact, our logo represents the healthcare triangle of patient care, finance, and regulatory concerns and we deliberately approach healthcare issues with a holistic solution streamlined to particular needs,” he said.

 

According to Mirza, belabored in-house healthcare attorneys need outside counsel experienced in creating and implementing solutions side by side with administrators and physicians.    Recognizing this critically important partnership, Mirza approaches lawyering as if he is an extension of his client, fully engaged and loyal, with a strategic, boots-on-the-ground head start due to his years as in-house counsel with major Florida healthcare systems. He makes himself fully accessible, 24/7 via cell and text minus the typical add-on fees for such service.

 

“Healthcare Law Partners actually ‘partners’ with our clients to see their goals become a reality,” he explained.

 

Mirza believes that strategic, timely, holistic legal intervention can positively impact improvements in access to and delivery of the continuum of quality health care with an assurance of regulatory compliance and cost-effective routines, based on nearly two decades of experience.

 

“The challenges of 2020 underscore the importance of knowledgeable partnering at the intersection of patient care, finance and regulatory goals to accelerate and preserve necessary advancements in the healthcare environment,” Mirza said, “As firm co-founder and hands-on contributor I am professionally obligated to operate in the legal world but with a personal ‘man on the street’ mindset, focused on what best benefits our clients.”

 

In addition to individual health care providers, practice groups, hospitals and health systems, Mirza serves associations like the American College of Healthcare Executives of South Florida, National Association of Health Services Executives of Florida, and Indian Physicians of Florida. He was most recently appointed to serve on The Florida Bar’s Continuing Legal Education Committee for Health Law Attorneys.

 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its path, Mirza predicts new approaches to legal services will be coming to market with tough, robust competition for the healthcare dollar. Healthcare Law Partners is a nimble firm that is making its mark in the industry, ready to engage health care clients with a fresh approach to predictable, reliable and efficient legal advice.