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Legal Issues for COMLEX Level 1 Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
-Patients have the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment (including a feeding tube)
-Like other life-sustaining treatments, artificial nutrition and hydration could be stopped legally and
ethically - ANSWER ✔✔-Cruzan vs. Director
Requires, that at time of admission:
1) Ask patients if they have *Advanced Directives*
2) Inform patients of their rights to accept or refuse medical treatment
3) Incorporate Advanced Directives into patient medical records - ANSWER ✔✔-Patient Self-
Determination Act
The Stafford *Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act*
-Authorizes the President to issue a major disaster or an emergency declaration in response to an event
that overwhelms state or local government
-If enacted, the local government can have access to *funds and services from FEMA* - ANSWER ✔✔-The
Stafford Act
Refer the patient to a different cardiothoracic surgeon - ANSWER ✔✔-A physician is unwilling to
perform heart surgery on a patient with HIV. What is your next step?
Use *visual aids*
Created by Grace Amelia © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
, 2|Page
-E.g. drawings, videos, etc. - ANSWER ✔✔-Low levels of literacy often lead to *adverse health outcomes*.
What is one way a physician may communicate to a patient with low literacy levels?
Report him to state medical board and inform chief of staff, etc. - ANSWER ✔✔-A fellow physician is
smelling of alcohol on the job. What do you do?
Contract b/t a physician and a HMO in which a *flat fee per patient* is paid each month - ANSWER ✔✔-
Capitation
Reimbursement on the basis of expected cost of the course of treatment
-Ex: *if a patient underwent a surgical procedure, the entire team is compensated with a "bundled
payment" instead of separate payments to each provider* - ANSWER ✔✔-Bundled payment
-Medical records are *owned by the provider that constructed them*
-However, *patients have the right to see and get a copy of these records* - ANSWER ✔✔-Federal Privacy
Rule
Physician who constructed them - ANSWER ✔✔-Who *owns* a patient's medical records?
Unlawful for an employer to discriminate based on genetic information or to request genetic information
- ANSWER ✔✔-Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
Refer the patient to another physician who will perform the abortion - ANSWER ✔✔-A pregnant woman
is wanting to have an abortion. However, as a physician, you have moral beliefs that you will NOT
perform an abortion. What should you do?
Residents who want to moonlight can, and these hours *will count* toward the max number of weekly
hours *80 hours/week* - ANSWER ✔✔-Resident moonlighting and duty hours
16 hour shirt MAXIMUM - ANSWER ✔✔-First years residents can work moonlight shift. What is the
MAX hour shift he or she may work?
Created by Grace Amelia © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
Legal Issues for COMLEX Level 1 Questions and
Answers 100% Pass
-Patients have the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment (including a feeding tube)
-Like other life-sustaining treatments, artificial nutrition and hydration could be stopped legally and
ethically - ANSWER ✔✔-Cruzan vs. Director
Requires, that at time of admission:
1) Ask patients if they have *Advanced Directives*
2) Inform patients of their rights to accept or refuse medical treatment
3) Incorporate Advanced Directives into patient medical records - ANSWER ✔✔-Patient Self-
Determination Act
The Stafford *Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act*
-Authorizes the President to issue a major disaster or an emergency declaration in response to an event
that overwhelms state or local government
-If enacted, the local government can have access to *funds and services from FEMA* - ANSWER ✔✔-The
Stafford Act
Refer the patient to a different cardiothoracic surgeon - ANSWER ✔✔-A physician is unwilling to
perform heart surgery on a patient with HIV. What is your next step?
Use *visual aids*
Created by Grace Amelia © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
, 2|Page
-E.g. drawings, videos, etc. - ANSWER ✔✔-Low levels of literacy often lead to *adverse health outcomes*.
What is one way a physician may communicate to a patient with low literacy levels?
Report him to state medical board and inform chief of staff, etc. - ANSWER ✔✔-A fellow physician is
smelling of alcohol on the job. What do you do?
Contract b/t a physician and a HMO in which a *flat fee per patient* is paid each month - ANSWER ✔✔-
Capitation
Reimbursement on the basis of expected cost of the course of treatment
-Ex: *if a patient underwent a surgical procedure, the entire team is compensated with a "bundled
payment" instead of separate payments to each provider* - ANSWER ✔✔-Bundled payment
-Medical records are *owned by the provider that constructed them*
-However, *patients have the right to see and get a copy of these records* - ANSWER ✔✔-Federal Privacy
Rule
Physician who constructed them - ANSWER ✔✔-Who *owns* a patient's medical records?
Unlawful for an employer to discriminate based on genetic information or to request genetic information
- ANSWER ✔✔-Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
Refer the patient to another physician who will perform the abortion - ANSWER ✔✔-A pregnant woman
is wanting to have an abortion. However, as a physician, you have moral beliefs that you will NOT
perform an abortion. What should you do?
Residents who want to moonlight can, and these hours *will count* toward the max number of weekly
hours *80 hours/week* - ANSWER ✔✔-Resident moonlighting and duty hours
16 hour shirt MAXIMUM - ANSWER ✔✔-First years residents can work moonlight shift. What is the
MAX hour shift he or she may work?
Created by Grace Amelia © 2025, All Rights Reserved.
