Mental Health Law Blog | The Health Law Firm Blog

Hospital Countersues FCA Whistleblower for Failing to Report Information Internally

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On March 13, 2019, a West Virginia hospital facing a whistleblower lawsuit countersued a former employee who filed the False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit against the health system. Wheeling Hospital alleges that the former executive, who is the whistleblower/relator in the lawsuit, breached his fiduciary duty to the company by failing to report the unlawful conduct internally, first. Instead, he used the information as the basis for his whistleblower claim. In the countersuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia, the Hospital […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:06-04:00January 13, 2020|Mental Health Law Blog|

Telemedicine and Telehealth Authorized by Law in Florida in 2019

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
Among the major events in health law in 2019, Florida passed a comprehensive act approving telemedicine and telehealth.

Telehealth in Florida, Who and What Are Included and Excluded.

Florida’s Telehealth Act became effective on July 1, 2019. It is codified in Section 456.47, Florida Statutes (2019). It authorizes the provision of healthcare services via telecommunication methods. However, it excludes audio-only telephone calls, email, and facsimile transmissions.

Authorized healthcare services under the Florida telehealth law include, but are not limited to, assessment, diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and monitoring of […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:06-04:00December 31, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

Mental Health Professionals: You Must Challenge Overpayment Demands from Medicare and Medicaid Audits

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
We have gotten calls from many mental health professionals who have been placed on prepayment review after failing to challenge Medicare or Medicaid audit results. Once placed on prepayment review, the payments are held up for many months. Some providers are even forced out of business as a result.

Failing to challenge, follow-up on, and appeal any adverse audit results can be very detrimental. An error rate above 15% will usually result in the provider being placed on prepayment review.

What Happens During Prepayment Review.

While on prepayment review, […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:07-04:00December 5, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

Florida Psychiatric Hospital Accused of Cashing in on Baker Act Patients

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

In September 2019, a report on an investigation by The Tampa Bay Times stated that a North Tampa psychiatric hospital might be more harmful than helpful to its patients. The Tampa Bay Times claimed the health facility exploited patients held under the state’s mental health law known as the Baker Act. The Baker Act allows the involuntary confinement of a person in a mental health facility for a limited period of time if that person presents a threat to himself or to others; however, there are many limitations on this […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:09-04:00November 6, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

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 on nursing homes, hospices, and institutions for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Proposed Changes to Florida’s Hospital CON Laws.

In May 2019, the Florida Legislature eliminated certificate of need program requirements for general acute care hospitals and tertiary services. The new law keeps CON requirements for specialty hospitals in place only until July 1, 2021. Click […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:11-04:00August 20, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

The Administrative Process to Challenge OIG Exclusion Actions

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

Many health professionals don’t understand the significant repercussions that an exclusion action by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) can have on their professional careers and future employment. Whether you are a physician, nurse, dentist, psychologist or other health professionals, if you allow yourself to be excluded from the Medicare program, devastating economic results may follow.

The administrative process by which you may challenge a proposal from the OIG for most permissive or mandatory exclusion is challenging. In most cases, you will need experienced legal representation. Below are the steps in the process you must […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:11-04:00August 14, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

Florida’s Prescription Drug Importation Plan Continues to Gain Support

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

On March 12, 2019, the Florida House of Representatives’ Health Quality Subcommittee voted 15 to 2 to approve House Bill 19 (HB 19) that would implement one of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recently announced health care proposals. In February 2019, the new Florida governor, who was criticized for not having a health care platform while he campaigned, announced the proposal that Florida start importing drugs from Canada.

HB 19 -Prescription Drug Importation Programs.

HB 19 was created for the […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:12-04:00August 9, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

Neurosurgeon Keeps $17.5 Million Award, Despite Arrest for Soliciting Prostitute

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

On June 25, 2019, a Washington state appeals court sided with an arbitrator’s decision to award $17.5 million to a neurosurgeon who was fired after he didn’t disclose his arrest for soliciting prostitute.

Swedish Health Services had appealed the original arbitration ruling, arguing that the neurosurgeon violated the terms of his employment contract when he failed to notify the employer that he had been arrested in a prostitution sting. However, according to the reports, the neurosurgeon claimed that in 2017 Swedish Health Services actually fired him after […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:12-04:00July 30, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|

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 claims to Medicaid for dentures and other services and payroll tax fraud, according to prosecutors.

Submitting False Claims.

Prosecutors alleged that the couple that owned the practice ran several schemes through the dental clinics from 2010 to 2015, including conspiring to defraud Medicaid. A main part of […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:16-04:00April 18, 2019|Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dental Law Blog, Dentist Defense attorney, Health Care Fraud, Health care Law, Medicaid Fraud, Medicaid fraud|

FL May Allow Providers to Avoid Past Mental-Health Conditions, Drug Issues on License Applications

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

Health care professionals ask patients about their medical histories every day for in treating them. But what happens when they are requested to divulge in their own history to the state as part of the licensing process? Before being licensed in the state of Florida, for example, health care providers are required to disclose if they have been treated for mental-health or substance-abuse disorders within in the past five years. However, this could be changing […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:17-04:00February 27, 2019|Mental Health Law Blog|