Medical Staff Involved in Peer Reviewers Can Receive Compensatory and Punitive Damages for Violations of their Confidentiality: Part 1 of 2

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

6 Indest-2008-3An important decision was delivered by the Supreme Court of New Mexico involving peer reviewers’ statutory right to confidentiality. In the decision, the New Mexico court allowed peer reviewers to recover compensatory and punitive damages resulting from confidentiality violations. The court recognized that peer reviewers are members of the class protected by the peer review statute in New Mexico. Thus, the court stated, they deserve remedies for violations of their confidentiality right. To view the New Mexico Peer Review Statute, click here.

Yedidag v. Roswell Clinic Corp., the New Mexico Case.

Dr. Emre Yedidag was an employee of Roswell Clinic Corp. and Roswell Hospital Corp. During a peer review of another employee, Dr. Akbar Ali, Dr. Yedidag allegedly “verbally attacked” Dr. Ali when he questioned the physicians’ involvement in a patient’s death. The hospital subsequently terminated Dr. Yedidag’s employment for “unprofessional conduct.” In response, Dr. Yedidag filed a complaint against the hospital for utilizing confidential peer review information to support his termination.

The Supreme Court of New Mexico did not agree with the hospital’s argument that the physician’s unprofessional conduct justified the doctor’s termination. The court held that the doctor’s questions were privileged, even if they were “uncivilized.” Also, the court ruled, the hospital may not use information from a peer review proceeding as a reason to terminate his employment. The court upheld an award to Dr. Yedidag of his compensatory and punitive damages. To read the case in its entirety, click here.

The New Mexico Supreme Court Estimated that the Peer Review Statute is too Lenient.

The Supreme Court of New Mexico also estimated that the criminal penalty imposed by the New Mexico peer review statute was “too lenient” to discourage violators. Therefore, allowing peer reviewers to sue violators will result in greater deterrence, the court ruled. The court held that peer reviewers’ confidentiality is a “mandatory rule of law incorporated into physician-reviewer employment contracts.”

Comments?

What are your thoughts on the Supreme Court of New Mexico’s ruling of compensatory and punitive damages for peer review violations? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

Contact a Health Law Attorney Experienced in Representing Health Care Professionals.

At the Health Law Firm we provide legal services for all health care providers and professionals. This includes physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, Durable Medical Equipment suppliers, medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing home and any other health care provider. We represent facilities, individuals, groups and institutions in contracts, sales, mergers and acquisitions.

To contact the Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Source:

Stein, Alex. “Doctors Conducting Peer Review Can Recover Compensatory and Punitive Damages for Confidentiality Violations.” (February 21, 2015). From:
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/billofhealth/2015/02/21/doctors-conducting-peer-review-can-recover-compensatory-and-punitive-damages-for-confidentiality-violations/

About the Authors: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620. Shelby Root is a summer associate at The Health Law Firm. She is a student at Barry University College of Law in Orlando.

Keywords: Yedidag v. Roswell Clinic Corporation, peer review, defense attorney, defense counsel, defense lawyer, medical staff attorney, fair hearing attorney, peer review fair hearing, clinical privileges attorney, hospital clinical privileges, confidentiality right, compensatory damages, punitive damages, New Mexico peer review statute, healthcare law, healthcare attorney, healthcare lawyer, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2015 The Health Law firm. All rights reserved.

Apopka Woman to Serve 18-Month Prison Sentence After $47K Medicaid Scam

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

IndestAn Apopka businesswoman was recently sentenced to 18 months in prison after she was found guilty of a Medicaid scam. According to the Florida Attorney General’s Office, Shanqual Marshall-Gunn was arrested in September on suspicion of submitting more than $47,000 in fraudulent Medicaid claims.

Company Provided Targeted Case Management Services (TCMs).

Marshall-Gunn owned Second Chances TCM, Inc. TCMs are intended to provide Medicaid recipients who have mental-health disorders with connections to resources in their community, and to assist them in leading a more normal life. Prosecutors said Marshall-Gunn gave employees and clients kickbacks when they submitted referrals to her company.

Three of her employees were also arrested in September 2014 for billing Medicaid for targeted case management services that were fraudulent or not authorized.

Marshall-Gunn Entered a No Contest Plea.

Media reported that court records show Marshall-Gunn entered a no contest (or “nolo contendere”) plea and was found guilty of Medicare fraud, a second-degree felony. Circuit Court Judge Jenifer Davis sentenced Marshall-Gunn on July 2. Davis also ordered Marshall-Gunn to serve five years of probation.

In addition, she cannot work for any Medicaid provider and must pay more than $47,000 in restitution.

The Investigation Was Conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

The investigation was conducted by Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). And it was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

Bondi’s MFCU investigates and prosecutes providers that intentionally defraud Florida’s Medicaid program. According to Bondi’s MFCU press release in this case: “From January 2011 to August 2014, Attorney General Bondi’s MFCU has obtained more than $460 million in settlements and judgments.”

To read the press release, click here.

To read more about the MFCU, click here.

Comments?

Have you ever been a victim or suspect of Medicaid fraud? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Handling Medicaid Audits, Investigations and other Legal Proceedings.

Medicaid fraud is a serious crime and is vigorously investigated by the state MFCU, the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), the Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPICs), the FBI, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Often other state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), and other law enforcement agencies participate. Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you are concerned of any possible violations and would like a confidential consultation, contact a qualified health attorney familiar with medical billing and audits today. Often Medicaid fraud criminal charges arise out of routine Medicaid audits, probe audits, or patient complaints.

The Health Law Firm’s attorneys routinely represent physicians, dentists, orthodontists, medical groups, clinics, pharmacies, assisted living facilities (ALFs), home health care agencies, nursing homes, group homes and other healthcare providers in Medicaid and Medicare investigations, audits and recovery actions.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:

Attorney General’s Press Office. “Four Central Florida Residents Arrested for Medicaid Fraud.” (Sept. 5, 2014). WCTV. From: http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Four-Central-Florida-Residents-Arrested-for-Medicaid-Fraud-274154191.html

Connolly, Kevin P. “Apopka woman sentenced to prison for 18 months after Medicaid scam.” Orlando Sentinel. Print.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law.  He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice.  Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area.  www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: Medicaid, Medicaid fraud, defense attorney, Medicaid investigation, defense lawyer, defense counsel, Medicaid claims, fraudulent claims, home health care, criminal defense, health law criminal defense, health law criminal representation, criminal representation, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, MFCU, targeted case management provider, TCM, Florida’s Medicaid program, overbill Medicaid, Medicaid scam, Medicaid fraud defense attorney, Medicaid fraud defense lawyer, Medicare, Medicare fraud, Medicare Investigation, overbill Medicare, health care fraud, Florida Attorney General, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2015 The Health Law firm. All rights reserved.

Guilty Plea to Research Misconduct Results in 4 1/2 Year Prison Sentence

By Michael L. Smith, R.R.T., J.D., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

MS_smDong-Pyou Han, a former Iowa State University scientist was sentenced to four-and-a-half (4 ½)  years in prison on Wednesday July 1, 2015, for falsifying his research results concerning the effectiveness of an experimental HIV vaccine.  A plea agreement also required Han to pay $7.2 million in restitution to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which funded the research.  Han was testing the experimental HIV vaccine on rabbits.  He spiked the rabbit blood with human antibodies to make it falsely appear the experimental vaccine caused the rabbits to develop antibodies to HIV.
Click here to the entire AP article.

What is Research Misconduct?

“Research misconduct” is intentional fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism during the course of clinical research. It is not honest differences of opinion or differences in the interpretation of data.  In Han’s case, the test results were fabricated in order to fraudulently secure millions of dollars in grants from the NIH.

Click here to read one of our blogs on the ABCs of IRBs.  For more resources, visit the Research Misconduct Website at National Institutes of Health.

Han’s Attorney Requests Probation, Not Prison.

According to an AP article, Han was represented by a federal public defender who asked the court to sentence Han to probation rather than prison.  The public defender argued that Han already lost his ability to work as a scientist and would most likely be deported to his native South Korea.  Instead, the judge in this case sentenced Han to four-and-a-half years (4 ½)  in prison.

Prison Sentences Unusual for Research Misconduct Cases.

Research misconduct investigations do not often result in prison sentences.  Most often, the sanction imposed on a scientist found to have committed research misconduct is a requirement to retract published articles, research or reports, and the loss of their research positions.  When NIH funding is involved, a prohibition on conducting any future NIH-funded research for a period of time is also often imposed.  A finding of research misconduct usually ends the research career of a scientist or physician.  However, when the fraud is blatant or when it involves a large amount of grant money, criminal prosecution may follow.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Research Misconduct.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to doctors and other scientists involved in research in addition to representing healthcare providers in numerous other matters.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

Have you ever heard of research misconduct? Do you think the scientist received a fair punishment for his research misconduct? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

Sources:

Pitt, David. “Ex-Iowa State Scientist Gets Prison for Faking HIV Research” Associated Press. (July 1, 2015). From:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/iowa-state-scientist-prison-faking-aids-research-32161935

About the Authors: Michael L. Smith, R.R.T., J.D., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is an attorney with The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law.  He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice.  Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area.  www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: research misconduct, attorney, research fraud defense, misconduct in science, clinical investigation fraud defense attorney, National Institutes for Health, NIH, fraud defense lawyer, medical investigation, clinical research fraud, clinical trials, grant fraud, institutional review board investigation, IRB, misconduct in science committee, MISC, defense counsel, data falsification, researcher’s attorney

The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2015 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

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