11th Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects Florida Eye Doctor’s Request for New Medicare Fraud Trial

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

On July 31, 2020, a panel of U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal judges upheld a 17-year prison sentence for a Florida ophthalmologist found guilty of Medicare fraud. The three-judge panel rejected an appeal in which Salomon Melgen claimed prosecutors mishandled his 2017 criminal trial.

It upheld the conviction on all 67 counts, deemed the 17-year-sentence to be even-handed, and denied him a new trial.

Details of the Case and Why the Former Ophthalmologist Requested a New Trial.

To understand how the panel reached their decision, it helps to understand […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:42-04:00April 17, 2021|Nursing Law Blog|

11th Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects Florida Eye Doctor’s Request for New Medicare Fraud Trial

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

On July 31, 2020, a panel of U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal judges upheld a 17-year prison sentence for a Florida ophthalmologist found guilty of Medicare fraud. The three-judge panel rejected an appeal in which Salomon Melgen claimed prosecutors mishandled his 2017 criminal trial.

It upheld the conviction on all 67 counts, deemed the 17-year-sentence to be even-handed, and denied him a new trial.

Details of the Case and Why the Former Ophthalmologist Requested a New Trial.

To understand how the panel reached their decision, it helps to understand the details of the scheme […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:46-04:00March 17, 2021|Medical Education Law Blog|

Autistic Kids in Florida May Lose Care as Medicaid fraud Investigation Continues

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

On July 26, 2018, state investigators revealed that six behavioral therapists in Florida billed the state for “impossible” days of service that at times indicated they worked for more than 24 hours in a day. The six therapists, who worked with low-income children with autism, were then subsequently terminated from the Medicaid program.

The company that employed them, DRA Behavioral Health, was among four South Florida behavioral therapy companies sanctioned by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for failing to pay fines, hiring unqualified therapists and failing to disclose required information to the state.

Is AHCA Delaying […]

By |2024-03-14T10:00:23-04:00August 10, 2018|Mental Health Law Blog|

New DOJ Memo Shifting Government Policy in False Claims Act Cases Should make Healthcare Providers Happy!

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

On January 29, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a new internal memorandum that we believe signals a backing-off of government support for False Claims Act cases. The memorandum sent by Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand, references “vast reams” of government agency guidance explaining the government’s views and interpretation of various laws. It includes laws related to requirements for accurate billing of Medicare and Medicaid by healthcare providers.

The “Brand Memorandum.”

In the memo, Brand said the DOJ “may not use its enforcement authority to effectively convert agency guidance documents into binding […]

By |2024-03-14T10:01:28-04:00May 15, 2018|Mental Health Law Blog|

New DOJ Memo Shifting Government Policy in False Claims Act Cases Should make Healthcare Providers Happy!

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

On January 29, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a new internal memorandum that we believe signals a backing-off of government support for False Claims Act cases. The memorandum sent by Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand, references “vast reams” of government agency guidance explaining the government’s views and interpretation of various laws. It includes laws related to requirements for accurate billing of Medicare and Medicaid by healthcare providers.

The “Brand Memorandum.”

In the memo, Brand said the DOJ “may not use its enforcement authority to effectively convert agency guidance documents into binding rules.” The memo is […]

By |2024-03-14T10:01:38-04:00May 15, 2018|Health Facilities Law Blog|
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