About The Health Law Firm

The Health Law Firm concentrates on representing health care providers. Our health law attorneys and paralegals have decades of experience in the legal and health care fields. Our health law attorneys include those Board Certified in Health Law, Masters degree trained, former hospital counsel and licensed health care professionals. Our clients include physicians, dentists, nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, medical students, nursing homes, home health agencies, hospitals, health insurers, medical groups, durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers, and other health care providers.
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Harvard Med School Morgue Director Allegedly Sold Body Parts, Class Action Alleges

Author headshot standing in dark suit with red tie against a dark grey backgroundBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

In a morbid but extremely popular class action lawsuit filed on June 16, 2023, illegal body parts sales was alleged. The lawsuit against Harvard University contained allegations that its morgue manager was selling body parts from 350-400 donated cadavers. Many donors have now requested their bodies back.

Family members of the deceased had voluntarily donated the cadavers to the prestigious institution to further the medical and scientific study of the human body.

Massachusetts state law recognizes that […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:26-04:00July 12, 2023|Nursing Law Blog|
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Medications and Other Substances that Mimic Prohibited Drugs on Urinalysis Drug Tests: Cocaine and Imposter Substances (Part 2 of Series)

Author Headshot

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

When representing nurses and other licensed health professionals, our firm often encounters issues regarding positive drug tests that employers request. These clients include nurses, pharmacists, dental professionals, mental health counselors, therapists, etc. Job seekers should be aware that employers, particularly large companies and government organizations, may require drug tests as part of the hiring process.

These issues are particularly relevant when a health professional has applied to a hospital, a medical organization, or a placement agency for work in a hospital and is required to submit to […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:26-04:00July 11, 2023|Nursing Law Blog|
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Psychiatric Practice to Pay $310,000 in FCA Settlement for Employing Doctor on OIG Exclusion List

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

On February 23, 2022, a psychiatric practice and its owner agreed to pay $310,874 to resolve allegations they improperly hired and employed a physician who was excluded from federal healthcare programs. The physician who was hired was on the OIG’s exclusion list, the “List of Excluded Individuals and Entities” (LEIE). As a result, the government took the position that claims for services the physician provided filed against government programs were illegal pursuant to the false Claims Act (FCA). Details were disclosed in a Press Release by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Geriatric […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:26-04:00July 8, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|
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Psychiatric Practice Reaches Settlement in FCA Suit to End Allegations of Employing Physician on OIG Exclusion List

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

On February 23, 2022, a psychiatric practice and its owner agreed to pay $310,874 to resolve allegations they improperly hired and employed a physician who was excluded from federal healthcare programs. The physician who was hired was on the OIG’s exclusion list, the “List of Excluded Individuals and Entities” (LEIE). As a result, the government took the position that claims for services the physician provided filed against government programs were illegal pursuant to the false Claims Act (FCA). Details were disclosed in a Press Release by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Geriatric […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:26-04:00July 7, 2023|Health Facilities Law Blog|
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State Nursing Boards Delay Nursing Licenses Across the U.S. Even As COVID-19 Pandemic Continues

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

Staffing shortages at hospitals across the U.S. are worsening helped along by state boards and other licensing authorities taking months to process nursing licenses, a recent NPR survey claims. As a result, thousands of new nurses who want to help during the COVID-19 pandemic are reportedly getting sidelined by state bureaucratic red tape. Now, it’s resulted in a considerable backlog in nurses waiting for jobs.

State nursing boards are usually created and charged with safeguarding the public. But there are those who claim they have become an obstacle to ensuring public safety by preventing qualified […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:26-04:00July 6, 2023|Nursing Law Blog|
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Florida Attorney Says AHCA Must Put Medicaid Final Orders Online

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

Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has come under fire for failing to make Medicaid final orders accessible to the public. On April 11, 2023, an attorney asked a Florida appeals court to revive her suit against AHCA, trying to force AHCA into compliance with state public records laws.

Attorney Nancy Wright says the AHCA orders fall under a state law that requires all proceedings determined by a state agency to be placed into a centralized electronic database accessible to the public. This would allow citizens and healthcare providers more accessible access to those decisions and […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:26-04:00June 27, 2023|Health Facilities Law Blog|
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Medicare Revocation and the Collateral Damage It Can Cause Health Care Providers

Attorney and Author George F. Indest III HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
Many healthcare professionals are unaware of the adverse long-term collateral effects of Medicare revocation or exclusion on their careers and future employment. However, if you are a physician, dentist, nurse, mental health counselor, psychologist, pharmacist, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, massage therapist, or other licensed health professional whose license is revoked or suspended, there may still be hope.
Lasting Consequences of Medicare Revocation. 
A revocation or exclusion from Medicare is often a severe consequence of license discipline on a professional license and can devastate a provider’s career. The Centers for Medicare & […]
By |2024-03-14T09:59:26-04:00June 27, 2023|Mental Health Law Blog|
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Florida Man Gets 15 Years in Prison for HIV Drug Fraud Scheme;  $230 Million Lost to Fraud

author headshot standing in dark suit with arms crossedBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On June 15, 2023, a United States District Judge sentenced a Florida man to 15 years in prison for his role in an HIV prescription drug fraud scheme that amassed more than $230 million in two years.  The defendant was initially indicted on June 17, 2022, and charged with six counts of conspiracy and money laundering.  Unlike most of the fraud convictions we report on, this one was directed against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and involved adulterating and misbranding drugs.  The defendant pled guilty […]
By |2024-03-14T09:59:27-04:00June 26, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|
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Fight Back in National Practitioner Data Bank Disputes and Appeal Adverse Reports

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

The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), created in 1986, was part of the Health Care Quality Improvement Act (HCQIA). Its purpose is to improve the quality of health care by encouraging state licensing boards, hospitals, health care entities, and professional societies to report into a national data bank those physicians and health professionals who demonstrate substandard skills or engage in unprofessional behavior.  In part, it is used to make sure that incompetent physicians do not move from one state to another in order to avoid the consequences.

Adverse Reports Stay in the NPDB for Life.

How long does […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:27-04:00June 25, 2023|Nursing Law Blog|
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“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 © 2024 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.
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