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Federal Judge Dismisses Florida Dentist’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Insurance Claim
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Federal Judge Dismisses Florida Dentist’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Insurance Claim

Dental Law, Dental Law Blog, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Health Law, In the News, Insurance

Federal Judge Dismisses Florida Dentist’s COVID-19 Business Interruption Insurance Claim

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On September 3, 2020, a Florida federal judge dismissed a suit for business interruption insurance payments by a Florida dentist. The dentist claimed he sustained damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and related civil authority shutdowns of dental services. The dismissal freed Allied Insurance Company of America from having to pay the dentist’s for COVID-19 related losses, holding that the policy’s “virus exclusion” barred coverage of the insurance claim made.

Insurance Coverage for COVID-19 Related Losses.

The dentist sued his insurance carrier for damages that he argued were “caused by or […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:55-04:00September 28, 2020|Dental Law, Dental Law Blog, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Health Law, In the News, Insurance|

Dental Clinic Owners Found Guilty of $1 Million Medicaid, Tax Scheme

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On February 21, 2019, a federal jury found the owners of several dental clinics in Missouri guilty of a $1 million scheme to defraud the government. The owners of All About Smiles LLC, were convicted of submitting false claims to Medicaid for dentures and other services and payroll tax fraud, according to prosecutors.

Submitting False Claims.

Prosecutors alleged that the couple that owned the practice ran several schemes through the dental clinics from 2010 to 2015, including conspiring to defraud Medicaid. A main part of […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:16-04:00April 18, 2019|Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dental Law Blog, Dentist Defense attorney, Health Care Fraud, Health care Law, Medicaid fraud, Medicaid Fraud|

Dentists Smiling as $80 Million Settlement Reached in Dental Supply Price-Fixing Class Action Suit

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On August 30, 2018, after two years of litigation, a group of dentists tentatively reached an $80 million settlement in a proposed class action accusing the country’s biggest dental supply companies of colluding to fix prices. The three dominant distributors, Henry Schein Inc., Patterson Cos. Inc. and Benco Dental Supply Co. Inc., allegedly artificially inflated prices on crowns, numbing agents, X-ray accessories and other products.

Artificially Inflating Prices.

In 2016, the three distributors were accused of artificially inflating prices on various dental supplies and equipment. Products at issue included supplies such as adhesives, implants, tooth brushes, pins and […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:22-04:00October 1, 2018|Board of Dentistry, Dental Law, Dental Law Blog, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists|

NYC Doctor Gets Prison Term for Posing as Clinic Owner in $30 Million Fraud Scheme

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On August 22, 2018, a doctor received a sentence of one year and a day in prison from a New York federal court for his part in a $30 million scheme to defraud Medicare and the state Medicaid program. The doctor admitted to posing as the owner of a medical clinic and falsely claiming to have seen hundreds of patients. He pled guilty on January 11, 2018, to health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud, mail fraud and wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Lies and Cover-ups.

The New York City doctor accepted responsibility […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:22-04:00September 7, 2018|Board of Dentistry, Dental Law, Dental Law Blog, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists|

Dentists: Please, Please, Please Talk to an Attorney Before You Talk to an Investigator

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Listen up, In Florida You DO NOT Have to Speak to an Investigator!

Despite mailing out hundreds of thousands of postcards and letters to dentists, throughout Florida, we continue to receive calls from new clients and from potential clients, after they have already spoken to and made critical harmful admissions against their own interests to investigators. In Florida, you do not have any duty to cooperate with any investigator who is investigating you. This extends to Department of Health (DOH) investigators (who are sometimes titled “Medical Quality Assurance Investigators” or “Medical Malpractice Investigators”), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists, Licensure matters|

The Lone Star State’s New Task Force to Take a Bite Out of Medicaid Dental Fraud

George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

There’s a new task force riding into Texas. According to The Texas Tribune, the Texas Attorney General’s (AG) Office and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) at the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) have teamed up to increase investigations of fraud in the state’s Medicaid dental program for children. The article, published on October 10, 2012, states the creation of the Medicaid and orthodontic task force was created in response to a significant increase in fraud by Medicaid providers.

To read the full article from The Texas Tribune, click here.

Everything is Bigger […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Board of Dentistry, Dental Law, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentists|

Overcoming License Suspension and Revocation Pending Appeal

By: Lance O. Leider, J.D.

If you are a dentist or other licensed health professional whose license has been recently revoked or suspended, there may still be hope. Ordinarily, you must immediately stop practicing or you risk being prosecuted for unlicensed practice, a felony. Although this blog deals with Florida law, similar relief may be available in other states, too.

One of the hardest things about having a license suspended or revoked is that it immediately cuts off the licensee’s sole source of income. If you have a thriving practice, this will usually destroy any value your business has. Without income, paying your bills will be a challenge, much less the cost to fight […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists, Licensure matters|

Avoid Costly HIPAA Violations with a HIPAA Risk Assessment

By Danielle M. Murray, J.D.

As a health care provider or owner of a health facility, you know about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996. You know that you must safeguard and protect confidential patient medical information to avoid civil and criminal penalties against you and your practice. Did you know that you may need a HIPAA Risk Assessment?

All Health Care Providers Face the Risk of Being Audited.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is stepping up enforcement around the country of “covered entities” and business associates. OCR auditors will send a letter informing you that within 30 days, they will be in your office reviewing your […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Dental Law, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Licensure matters|

NAS Insurance (NAS) Attorneys, Lawyers and Defense Council in Florida

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Often we learn after the fact that a health professional such as physicians, dentists and other health professionals has received NAS Insurance, has had a legal problem, and has not been able to locate an attorney or law firm that accepts this type of insurance. We have offices in Florida and Colorado, but we have attorneys licensed in Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, the District of Columbia, Virginia and other states.

Additionally, we can provide legal advice and representation in license investigations and administrative proceedings in many other states.

If you have NAS Insurance, do not go without an […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Dental Law, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentists|

Connecticut Dentist Gets Drilled in Huge Medicaid Fraud Case

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

A dentist and owner of a number of clinics in Connecticut is feeling the pain of justice. According to a number of news sources, Gary Anusavice will spend the next eight (8) years in prison for targeting poor patients, performing unnecessary dental procedures and collecting $21 million in fraudulent Medicaid claims. He was sentenced on October 9, 2013.

To read an article on the dentist’s sentencing from The Hartford Courant, click here.

Dentist Must Forfeit Luxury Items.

On top of prison time, the dentist will have to pay $3.3 million in restitution and […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Dental Law, Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Licensure matters|