Florida Governor Signs New Controlled Substance Telemedicine Prescribing Law

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On April 6, 2022, Florida’s Governor signed into law legislation to remove the state’s prior restrictions on telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances. The new law in Florida allows healthcare providers to prescribe many controlled substances via telemedicine. Florida […]

DOJ Charges 345 People Allegedly Involved in More Than $6 Billion in Healthcare Fraud, Mostly Related to Telemedicine and Opioid Prescriptions

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law In September 2020, federal prosecutors charged 345 doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals allegedly involved in more than $6 billion in healthcare fraud. It is considered the largest Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Action in the Department […]

One of 2019’s Largest Healthcare Fraud Case Ever: No Surprise, Florida Wins!

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law For years, Florida has topped the lists with the highest rates of Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse. But even by the standards of Florida’s rampant healthcare fraud, this 2019 case stands out for its sheer size, making […]

Miami Man to Remain Jailed for Trial in Nation’s Largest Medicare Fraud Case

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On December 3, 2018, a Florida judge ruled that a Miami businessman who has been jailed for more than two years on $1 billion health care fraud charges, must remain in custody through his trial next year. U.S. […]

Walgreens Agrees to Pay $269 Million to Settle Two FCA Suits

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On January 22, 2019, Walgreens agreed to pay more than $269 million to settle allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations for overbilling of various drugs. The deals are some of the largest pay-outs ever by a retail […]

DOJ Announces $2.8 Billion Recovered Funds From Healthcare Cases in 2018

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On December 21, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it recovered more than $2.8 billion from False Claims Act (FCA) (also known as “qui tam” or “whistleblower cases”) cases in 2018. Of the $2.8 billion […]

DOJ Announces $2.8 Billion Recovered From Healthcare FCA Cases in 2018

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On December 21, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it recovered more than $2.8 billion from False Claims Act (FCA) (also known as “qui tam” or “whistleblower cases”) cases in 2018. Of the $2.8 billion […]

Florida Attorney General Focuses on Targeted Case Management Fraud

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Due to a rise in fraud across the system, the Florida Attorney General (AG), through the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), is directing its focus toward Medicaid targeted case management (TCM) services. TCM services were established to help […]

Florida Government Officer Charged in Billion Dollar Medicare Fraud

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Health Care Administrator Accepts Bribes. An alleged $1 billion health care scheme has lead to the first known prosecution against a Florida Agency for Health Care Administration official.  Bertha Blanco faces a wide range of charges including accepting […]