Dental Law Blog | The Health Law Firm Blog

Dentists: Beware of Nationwide Telephone Prescription Drug Scam – Callers Claim to be DEA Agents

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

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning dentists to be aware of a prescription drug scam. This telephone scheme is extorting money from people all over the country. On November 28, 2012, the DEA released a press release explaining the details of the scam.

Be Wary of Criminals Asking for Money Over the Phone.

The scam starts with criminals posing as DEA agents calling victims by telephone. Frequently the victims will have recently purchased prescription drugs over the internet or by phone. The imposters tell the victims that purchasing the drugs in that manner is illegal, and that […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:06-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists|

Locating a Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) Insurance Defense Attorney in Florida Company Cases

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

We are sometimes told by the health professionals we represent especially pharmacists, licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs), advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs), massage therapists and physical therapists that after they received a complaint regarding their license from the Florida Department of Health (DOH) they had difficulty finding an experienced attorney in Florida who would accept their professional liability insurance. In this case, I am speaking specifically about Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) Insurance.

HPSO Insurance Helps Cover Costly Legal Fees.

The professionals who are covered by HPSO Insurance have excellent […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:06-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists|

What Should I Do If I Have Property That Is the Subject of a Seizure under the Civil Forfeiture Act?

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

The civil forfeiture of property has become a popular tool for state and federal agencies to fight alleged criminal activity. It is a civil proceeding that permits the government to seize personal property if it is believed that the property is “proceeds of criminal activity.” The civil forfeiture law allows government authorities, usually police authorities, to gain possession of a person’s property without any determination of guilt or innocence of the person involved.

What Actions Cause Property to be Seized?

Typically, a forfeiture action begins when personal property is seized after an arrest. […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:07-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law|

Preserve Your Dental License – Pretrial Intervention and Drug Court as Alternatives to Conviction, Nolo Contendere, or Adjudication Withheld

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

As if being faced with the consequences of criminal charges wasn’t frightening enough, physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists and other health professionals have the added danger of having their licenses disciplined or revoked if they plead nolo contendere or guilty to a criminal charge

Whether you are applying for a new license to practice or have been practicing for years you are under an obligation to report “convictions” and “pleas” to the board that governs your profession. The normal definition of a “conviction” is not the same […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:42-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentists, Licensure matters|

Dentists: Please, Please, Please Talk to an Attorney Before You Talk to an Investigator

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

Listen up, In Florida You DO NOT Have to Speak to an Investigator!

Despite mailing out hundreds of thousands of postcards and letters to dentists, throughout Florida, we continue to receive calls from new clients and from potential clients, after they have already spoken to and made critical harmful admissions against their own interests to investigators. In Florida, you do not have any duty to cooperate with any investigator who is investigating you. This extends to Department of Health (DOH) investigators (who are sometimes titled “Medical Quality Assurance Investigators” or “Medical Malpractice Investigators”), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists, Licensure matters|

Overcoming License Suspension and Revocation Pending Appeal

By: Lance O. Leider, J.D.

If you are a dentist or other licensed health professional whose license has been recently revoked or suspended, there may still be hope. Ordinarily, you must immediately stop practicing or you risk being prosecuted for unlicensed practice, a felony. Although this blog deals with Florida law, similar relief may be available in other states, too.

One of the hardest things about having a license suspended or revoked is that it immediately cuts off the licensee’s sole source of income. If you have a thriving practice, this will usually destroy any value your business has. Without income, paying your bills will be a challenge, much less the cost to fight […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:43-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentistry Law, Dentists, Licensure matters|

New Hampshire Dentist Indicted on 189 Counts of Medicaid Fraud

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

On December 20, 2013, a New Hampshire dentist was indicted on 189 counts of Medicaid fraud, according to a number of news sources. The dentist is alleged to have made false claims to the New Hampshire Medicaid office for procedures such as oral exams, X-rays, tooth extractions and orthopedic treatments performed between 2008 and 2013. According to the Concord Monitor, the dentist faces a maximum sentence of 1,323 years in prison. However, it is unlikely the dentist will receive such a long sentence. It is even more unlikely that he will serve the entire […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:44-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentist Defense attorney, Dentists|

Florida Dentist Performs Disappearing Act With Patients’ Money

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

A Pensacola, Florida, dentist has disappeared, with his patients’ cash, and now the Escambia Sheriff’s Office is looking for both, according to a number of news sources. According to the Pensacola News Journal, the dentist closed his practice months ago without alerting his patients or performing services for which they had already paid. On January 23, 2014, the sheriff’s office sent out a request for former patients of the dentist to come forward.

Click here to read the Pensacola News Journal article.

Dentist’s Checkered Past.

According to the Florida Department of Health […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:44-04:00May 15, 2018|Dentists|

Illegal Dentistry a Problem in Central Florida’s Minority Communities

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

Officials with the Florida Department of Health and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) recently raided an Orange County, Florida, home and discovered an elaborate unlicensed dentist’s office. The accused illegal dentist allegedly had everything from an old X-ray machine to a full dental lab with orthodontic equipment. But what she didn’t have was a license to practice dentistry in Florida.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the dentist was a licensed dental hygienist in Florida and claimed to be licensed […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:10-04:00May 15, 2018|Dental Law Blog|

Dentists Targeted for Billing Medicaid for Dead Patients; Okay to Treat Dead Patients, You Just Can’t Bill for It

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
Two South Florida dentists are at the center of a fraud investigation after, among other things, allegedly billing Medicaid for unnecessary dentures for their patients, according to the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Married couple Marino Vigna and Beth Reinstein operate Sunrise Dental Clinic in Fort Lauderdale. They have not yet been arrested or charged, however, their billing practices are reportedly under investigation. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the office of Florida’s Attorney General is focusing on the clinic’s submission of Medicare claims dating back to Jan. 1, 2010.

Hundreds of Elderly Patients Affected.

Vigna and Reinstein […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:11-04:00May 15, 2018|Dental Law Blog|