Florida Gov Signs Sweeping COVID-19 Liability Protections Into Law
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On March 29, 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that protects businesses, governments, and healthcare providers in Florida from COVID-19 lawsuits if they make a reasonable effort to follow guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus […]
University of Colorado Sued For Denying COVID-19 Vaccine Religious Exemptions
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On September 29, 2021, a pediatrician and medical student sued the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CU) for denying COVID vaccine religious exemptions. The U.S. District Court lawsuit argued that school administrators judge the validity of personal […]
Supreme Court Rules Against HHS in Hospital Medicare Reimbursement Case
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On June 15, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court said the federal government improperly cut more than $1 billion a year in Medicare reimbursements to hospitals. This came in a ruling that limits regulators’ power to control what the program pays for certain […]
First COVID-19 Breathalyzer Test Authorized By FDA
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On April 14, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the first Covid-19 diagnostic test that uses breath samples. The test, made by Texas-based company, InspectIR Systems, is authorized for those […]
From the archives: COVID Uninsured Provider Relief Fund Expected To Run Out of Money Soon If Congress Doesn’t Act
Previously published on April 19, 2022By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law In 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created the “Provider Relief Fund” (PRF) to help support healthcare providers in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal program has […]
Florida’s Protecting DNA Privacy Act: How Will It Affect Healthcare Providers?
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On June 29, 2021, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law HB 833, known as the “Protecting DNA Privacy Act,” which took effect in Florida October 1, 2021. Under the act, collecting or submitting another person’s DNA […]
COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund Expected To Run Out of Money If Congress Doesn’t Act Soon
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law In 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created the “Provider Relief Fund” (PRF) to help support healthcare providers in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal program has served as a lifeline to […]
Florida Judge Sides With Family of Florida Publix Employee Who Died of COVID-19
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On February 5, 2021, a judge in Florida refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of a Publix Super Markets deli worker who died after allegedly catching COVID-19 from a coworker. Judge Carlos Lopez announced that […]
Judge Won’t Toss Lawsuit Filed By Family of Florida Publix Employee Who Died of COVID-19
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On February 5, 2021, a judge in Florida refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of a Publix Super Markets deli worker who died after allegedly catching COVID-19 from a coworker. Judge Carlos Lopez announced that […]
Judge Sides With AdventHealth, Allows Fraud Claims Over $57.5 Million PPE Deal to Move Forward
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On February 23, 2021, a federal court in Orlando, Florida, ruled that Adventist Health System Sunbelt (now known as AdventHealth, and which owns Florida Hospital, among others) could pursue claims it has over a bad $57.5 million deal […]
Florida Judge Won’t Toss Lawsuit Filed By Family of Publix Employee Who Died of Coronavirus
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On February 5, 2021, a judge in Florida refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of a Publix Super Markets deli worker who died after allegedly catching COVID-19 from a coworker. Judge Carlos Lopez announced that […]
Florida Judge Sides With AdventHealth, Allows Fraud Claims Over Soured Multi-Million Dollar PPE Deal to Move Forward
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On February 23, 2021, a federal court in Orlando, Florida, ruled that Adventist Health System Sunbelt (now known as AdventHealth, and which owns Florida Hospital, among others) could pursue claims it has over a bad $57.5 million deal […]
Florida Judge Sides With AdventHealth, Allows Fraud Claims Over Multi-Million Dollar PPE Deal to Move Forward
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On February 23, 2021, a federal court in Orlando, Florida, ruled that Adventist Health System Sunbelt (now known as AdventHealth, and which owns Florida Hospital, among others) could pursue claims it has over a bad $57.5 million deal […]
OSHA Fines Several Health Care Systems Over COVID-19 PPE Violations
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On September 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a citation against a healthcare system in Louisiana. Christus Shreveport-Bossier Health System is facing fines for failing to safeguard its employees with […]
OSHA Issues Citations to Health Care Systems Over COVID-19 PPE Violations
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On September 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a citation against a healthcare system in Louisiana. Christus Shreveport-Bossier Health System is facing fines for failing to safeguard its employees with […]
Dentists, What Should You Do If You Or Your Staff Tests Positive For COVID-19 at Your Practice?
By Achal A. Aggarwal, M.B.A., J.D., and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law You or a member of your staff has a confirmed case of COVID-19. What now? Your primary concern is for the individual affected. However, as a health professional operating a professional practice, […]
Question: What Should You, as a Dentist, Do If You Or One of Your Employees Tests Positive For the COVID-19 Coronavirus?
By Achal A. Aggarwal, M.B.A., J.D., and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law You or a member of your staff has a confirmed case of COVID-19. What now? Your primary concern is for the individual affected. However, as a health professional operating a professional practice, […]
Dermatologist Pays $1.74 Million Settlement in FCA Suit For Inflated Medicare Claims in Florida
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On March 13, 2020, a Florida dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon agreed to pay $1.74 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA). United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that Dr. Thi Thien Nguyen […]
Florida Dermatologist Pays $1.74 Million To Settle Medicaid FCA Suit
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On March 13, 2020, a Florida dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon agreed to pay $1.74 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA). United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that Dr. Thi Thien Nguyen […]
Dermatologist in Florida Agrees to Pay $1.74 Million To Settle Medicaid FCA Suit
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On March 13, 2020, a Florida dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon agreed to pay $1.74 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act (FCA). United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announced that Dr. Thi Thien Nguyen […]
Proposed Changes to Certificate of Need Law Eliminate CONs for Florida Hospitals
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On June 3, 2019, Tallahassee healthcare regulators began the complex process of reshaping the state’s certificate of need (CON) program. Florida regulators are moving ahead to eliminate the certificate of need program for hospitals and to focus it […]
Changes to Certificate of Need Law Eliminate CONs for Florida Hospitals
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On June 3, 2019, Tallahassee healthcare regulators began the complex process of reshaping the state’s certificate of need (CON) program. Florida regulators are moving ahead to eliminate the certificate of need program for hospitals and to focus it […]
New Changes to Florida’s Certificate of Need Law Eliminate CONs for Hospitals
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On June 3, 2019, Tallahassee healthcare regulators began the complex process of reshaping the state’s certificate of need (CON) program. Florida regulators are moving ahead to eliminate the certificate of need program for hospitals and to focus it […]
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 […]
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 […]
Hey, Health Care Professionals…Why Can’t We Be Friends?!
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Every year, our firm sponsors and attends various medical industry events. Needless to say, our law firm table is not the most popular hangout spot. If we had a penny for every time we have heard “Yikes, an […]
Nurse Website Files Copyright Suit, Claims Florida Blog Aggregator Stole Over 800 Articles
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On June 28, 2018, MidLevelU, an online hub for nurse practitioners and health care professionals, filed a copyright suit in the Southern District of Florida. MidLevelU accused a subscription-based blog aggregator, ACI Information Group, of stealing and re-posting […]
Florida Doctor, Clinic Owner Charged With Drug Trafficking in Orlando Area
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law An Orlando based pain clinic that had patients from the panhandle to Miami has come under investigation according to Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation agents. The owner of the clinic, A Stop Pain Management, as well as it’s doctor […]
If You Are a Dentist Facing Legal Challenges, Choose an Attorney Who is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Dentists, nurses, pharmacists, health professionals, and health facilities often face legal challenges from many different sources. These challenges can come from federal and state regulators, medical malpractice trial lawyers, hospitals, clinics and colleagues. If you find yourself faced […]
OIG Alert Warns of Improper Conduct Involving Home Health Agencies and Physicians
By Michelle L. Bedoya, J.D. and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On June 22, 2016, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) published a fraud alert regarding improper arrangements and conduct involving home health agencies (HHAs) […]