Medications and Other Substances that Mimic Prohibited Drugs on Urinalysis Drug Tests (Part 1 of a Blog Series)
A positive result for any drug for which you do […]
A positive result for any drug for which you do […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
Recently it has come to our attention that there may be a nationwide effort by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to squelch physicians who prescribe opioids and other narcotic medications. We have seen letters sent out by CMS MACs to physicians notifying them that their Medicare program billing privileges have been terminated because CMS has identified them as a provider who is overprescribing.
Nationwide Effort to Run “Pill Mills” Out of Business.
We are well aware of efforts by the various law enforcement authorities at the state and federal level to prosecute and put out of business physicians identified as “pill mills” and the pharmacies that fill their prescriptions. These include surprise audits and inspections, followed by administrative actions or criminal prosecutions, […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On December 2, 2022, four nursing students from HCI College (formerly Health Career Institute) in Florida filed a federal class action lawsuit against the school. The students claim the school conducted a “malicious scheme” to block 95% of students from graduating and taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The lawsuit also accuses the nursing school of misrepresenting its accreditation status and NCLEX passage rates.
Critical Details Of The Lawsuit.
The class action, brought by four named plaintiffs, was filed in Federal Court in West Palm Beach. The plaintiffs are demanding to have their loans canceled and payments refunded and are seeking an injunction to allow all students to take the NCLEX exam.
The suit claims that HCI College misrepresented its accreditation status and lied about its NCLEX pass […]
Previously published on January 19, 2022
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On October 7, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Yelp is subject to a subpoena to reveal the names of anonymous users who left negative reviews for a doctor and his medical practice. The federal court judge found that the statements in the reviews made on Yelp contained factual claims that the doctor did have a legal right to contest in court. This is a factor that is usually missing in such cases. Accordingly, a motion for expedited discovery filed by the plaintiff physician was granted by the federal judge.
A Litigious History of Lawsuits.
The embattled physician has reportedly filed other lawsuits against reviewers for defamation. The doctor himself says he’s won […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
Our firm often gets calls from nurses and other health professionals who retain us to represent them in complaints against their licenses or in professional licensing complaints and investigations. This includes investigation letters from the Florida Department of Health (DOH), D.C. Health or Louisiana State Board. It also includes notices of hearing, administrative complaints, proposed Consent Orders, emergency restriction orders (EROs), and emergency suspension orders (ESOs). In many cases they had good insurance coverage with CPH & Associates (CPH&A) Insurance, but could not find an attorneys that accepted it or forgot that they had coverage.
Often adverse disciplinary action has already been taken against these nurses. They retain us to appeal or attempt to reverse an adverse disciplinary action against their license, including license revocations.
However, finding legal […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
As some states lift COVID-19 restrictions, the business community is still grappling with the dynamic between the COVID-19 vaccine and workplace operations. To address this, some U.S. employers have elected to adopt mandatory vaccination policies. These policies, in essence, require that, subject to a few exceptions, all employees must receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of continued employment.
Not surprisingly, we see various legal challenges to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies across the country. On June 12, 2021, a federal court in Texas became the first to rule on the permissibility of such policies enforced by private employers. In a landmark ruling, the court stated that mandatory workplace vaccination policies are lawful under Texas and federal law and may be enforced as a condition […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
In January 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the prosecution of a massive fake nursing diploma scheme against three Florida-based nursing schools. The investigation has now expanded to include at least eight (8) nursing schools.
The investigation has now resulted in charges against 25 people in five states and found evidence that they allegedly worked to “sell” more than 7,600 fake diplomas, along with school transcripts, between 2016 and 2021. Click here to learn more.
The Federal Indictment.
We have obtained a copy of the federal indictment filed against the individual owners, operators, and staff members whom the FBI alleges were committing crimes, including selling diplomas and transcripts. View the federal indictment filed in the investigation […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
The nation’s largest Medicaid insurer, Centene, has agreed to pay $165.6 million to Texas to resolve claims that it overcharged the state’s Medicaid program for pharmacy services. The deal was signed on July 11, 2022, but wasn’t publicly announced until September 19, 2022. The agreement makes Texas the 12th state to settle pharmacy billing claims with St. Louis-based Centene. It’s also the health insurance giant’s biggest payout over its drug pricing practices.
The Allegations Across Many States.
The allegations focused on Centene’s pharmacy benefit manager business, claiming it overbilled the state’s Medicaid programs for prescription drugs and pharmacy services. Such benefit managers act as middlemen between drugmakers and health insurers and as intermediaries between health plans and pharmacies. Multiple states have pursued allegations against Centene’s pharmacy manager business, […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
A study publicized in August 2022 revealed that the complex coding structures used in the United States drive up medical billing costs. This helps to make the U.S. one of the most expensive countries for health providers to get paid. According to the study, researchers used a micro-level accounting of billing and insurance-related (often abbreviated “BIR”) expenses in different national settings at six provider locations in five nations: Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and Singapore. This most recent study supplements a prior study measuring such costs in the U.S.
The findings, published in Health Affairs Journal, revealed “BIR (billing and insurance-related) costs in the U.S. are generally much higher than the costs in other countries.” This means that all the extra costs […]
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On February 3, 2021, a former University of Florida professor was indicted on allegations of fraudulently obtaining a federal grant from the U.S. by concealing his ties with the Chinese government. He is accused of fraudulently obtaining $1.75 million in federal grant money from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He was able to do this by concealing support he received from the Chinese government and a company that he founded in China to profit from that research, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
The former professor is charged with six counts of wire fraud and four counts of making false statements to […]