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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Supreme Court Rules FCA Case Liability Requires Defendants’ Subjective Belief

Author and attorney headshot leaning with hands folded in frontBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On June 1, 2023, the Supreme Court handed down an opinion on the knowledge standard required in False Claims Act (FCA) cases in a precedential decision that leaves the whistleblower plaintiffs bar reeling. In a unanimous ruling, the high court said liability of defendants in FCA cases would be based on their own belief in the falsity of their claims, rather than an “objectively reasonable” interpretation of the law or regulation. This appears to set the age-old maxim of “ignorance of the […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:28-04:00June 9, 2023|Mental Health 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 |2024-03-14T09:59:28-04:00June 9, 2023|Nursing Law Blog|
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NPDB Disputes and Appeals: Fight Back Against Adverse Reports

Attorney and Author HeadshotBy 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 […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00June 9, 2023|Health Facilities Law Blog|
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Supreme Court Rules FCA Case Liability Requires Defendants’ Subjective Belief

Author and attorney headshot leaning with hands folded in frontBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On June 1, 2023, the Supreme Court handed down an opinion on the knowledge standard required in False Claims Act (FCA) cases in a precedential decision that leaves the whistleblower plaintiffs bar reeling. In a unanimous ruling, the high court said liability of defendants in FCA cases would be based on their own belief in the falsity of their claims, rather than an “objectively reasonable” interpretation of the law or regulation. This appears to set the age-old maxim of “ignorance of the […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00June 8, 2023|Health Facilities Law Blog|
Read More

Supreme Court Rules FCA Case Liability Requires Defendants’ Subjective Belief

Author and attorney headshot leaning with hands folded in frontBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On June 1, 2023, the Supreme Court handed down an opinion on the knowledge standard required in False Claims Act (FCA) cases in a precedential decision that leaves the whistleblower plaintiffs bar reeling. In a unanimous ruling, the high court said liability of defendants in FCA cases would be based on their own belief in the falsity of their claims, rather than an “objectively reasonable” interpretation of the law or regulation. This appears to set the age-old maxim of “ignorance of the […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00June 8, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|
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Supreme Court Says FCA Case Liability Requires Defendants’ Subjective Belief

Author and attorney headshot leaning with hands folded in frontBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On June 1, 2023, the Supreme Court handed down an opinion on the knowledge standard required in False Claims Act (FCA) cases in a precedential decision that leaves the whistleblower plaintiffs bar reeling. In a unanimous ruling, the high court said liability of defendants in FCA cases would be based on their own belief in the falsity of their claims, rather than an “objectively reasonable” interpretation of the law or regulation. This appears to set the age-old maxim of “ignorance of the […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00June 8, 2023|Dental Law Blog|
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Walmart Announces Pay Raise For Thousands of Pharmacists and Opticians

Author and Attorney headshot standing with arms crossed in front of dark backgroundBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 31, 2023, Walmart announced it is raising wages for 7,700 U.S. pharmacists and opticians in a nationwide plan to expand healthcare services. The retailer said about 3,700 pharmacists would get a bump in pay, bringing their total average pay to more than $140,000 annually. Additionally, more than 4,000 opticians will receive pay raises, with their average hourly pay rising to more than $22.50. The company also said it plans to start a program in which associates who […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00June 8, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|
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Florida Surgeon Gets 7 Years for Committing $28 Million in Health Care Fraud

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

On November 18, 2021, a Tallahassee surgeon was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for committing health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The scheme involved performing hundreds of medically unnecessary, invasive surgical procedures on his patients.

The defendant, a dual citizen of the United States and Ghana, pled guilty to all 58 counts against him in federal court on December 18, 2020. Jason R. Cody, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence. Read […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00June 1, 2023|Nursing Law Blog|
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Court Rules New York Doctor Can Subpoena Yelp for User Information in Defamation Suit

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

On October 7, 2021, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that Yelp is subject to a subpoena to reveal the names of anonymous users who left negative reviews for a doctor and his medical practice. The federal court judge found that the statements in the reviews made on Yelp contained factual claims that the doctor did have a legal right to contest in court. This is a factor that is usually missing in such cases. Accordingly, a motion for expedited discovery filed by the plaintiff physician was granted by […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00May 28, 2023|Medical Education Law Blog|
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Humana Agrees To Pay $11.2 Million to End Nurses’ Overtime Suit

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

On September 27, 2021, Humana agreed to pay $11.2 million to end claims that the health insurance company denied a group of nurses overtime pay by misclassifying them as exempt employees. A Wisconsin federal judge approved the deal with Humana, and a group of more than 200 nurses reached, securing a $36,000 average payment for each nurse involved in the suit.

A Violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

This dispute stems from a class-action lawsuit filed in 2017 alleging that Humana misclassified its clinical nurse advisers as exempt employees and denied them overtime compensation, violating […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:29-04:00May 25, 2023|Massage 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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