Is the DEA Knocking on Your Door? What You Need to Know Right Now!
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) knocking at your door or, even worse, going through your files inside your office? This is what you need to know right now! YES, you do have the right to call your attorney. Call your attorney right now. If you cannot, ask one of your employees or spouse to call your attorney. Get your attorney involved right now! NO, do not sign a document to relinquish or voluntarily give up your DEA registration number. If you do so, [...]
Ex-Surgery Technician Slaps Georgia Urology Practice With Federal Discrimination Lawsuit
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On November 7, 2022, a former surgical technician hit a Georgia urology practice with a federal discrimination lawsuit, claiming it denied him a raise after complaining that a co-worker threatened him because of his sexuality. The plaintiff sued Georgia Urology, P.A., alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and various state laws. He said that in addition to harassment from co-workers, management denied him a predetermined raise after he complained about [...]
Maryland & Missouri Become 20th and 21st States to Legalize Recreational Marijuana
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Five states had proposals to legalize recreational marijuana on the ballot in the midterm elections held on November 8, 2022. Voters in Maryland and Missouri approved the legalization, while Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected similar proposals. As a result of the vote, Maryland and Missouri became the 20th and 21st states to legalize cannabis for adult recreational use. Maryland. Maryland's voters overwhelmingly approved Question 4 as it passed, with 65% of voters casting ballots in favor. The amendment creates a right to [...]
Eight Major Chinese Medical Schools No Longer Listed in World Directory Relied on by ECFMG and USMLE
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law In April 2014, the new World Directory of Medical Schools ("World Directory") was published. It took over as the definitive list of medical schools in the world (yes, the whole world). There are 180 Chinese medical schools listed on the World Directory of Medical Schools. Medical graduates from these schools are routinely eligible to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step exams, required for licensing in the United States, after applying and obtaining permission through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical [...]
Good News and Bad News for ECFMG & USMLE Applicants: Recent Changes for the USMLE Step Exams
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law These are some recently announced changes that could significantly impact anyone seeking to take the USMLE Step exams. This could be construed as good news by many and bad news by many others. Regardless, here it is. Step 1 Exam Changing to Pass/Fail Grade and Score Reporting. The USMLE announced recently that it would change the scoring and reporting for Step 1 exam scores. Step 1 score reporting will transition to pass/fail only for administrations on or after January 26, 2022. All of [...]
Centene Will Pay $19 Million to Washington State For Medicaid Fraud Allegations
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On August 24, 2022, managed healthcare company, Centene Corporation, agreed to pay $19 million to the State of Washington to settle fraud allegations. Centene owns and operates Sunshine State Health Plan, d/b/a Sunshine Health, in Florida. In addition, it has been reported that Centene/Sunshine Health reportedly has over $31 billion in contracts with the state of Florida alone. Click here to learn more. The agreement with Washington State resolves allegations that it overcharged its Medicaid program for pharmacy benefit management services, Washington Attorney General [...]
When the DEA Comes Knocking: 15 Tips For a “Routine” DEA Inspection
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law As the United States continues to open back up from the COVID-19 shutdown, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is resuming on-site routine inspections. Therefore, healthcare professionals must ensure compliance and regulatory efforts are in place. This is part 1 of a 2-part blog series. Check back for part 2 of this blog series soon! DEA Inspections and Site Visits: Subpoenas. DEA agents are often pushy, demanding, and intimidating. They will try to use subpoenas (which are merely requests for documents that afford you at [...]