How to Find a Lawyer Who Accepts HPSO Insurance to Defend Healthcare Providers

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

Healthcare professionals such as pharmacists, licensed mental health counselors, advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs), and massage therapists often struggle to find experienced lawyers in Florida who will accept their professional liability insurance after receiving complaints from the Department of Health (DOH). Specifically, in this blog, the insurance provider in question is Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) Insurance.

Advantages of Having HPSO Insurance.

The medical professionals HPSO Insurance covers can give a sigh of relief knowing they have excellent insurance coverage. HPSO Insurance provides professional liability coverage that protects them in the event of a lawsuit or negligence […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:19-04:00October 2, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

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 |2024-03-14T09:59:20-04:00September 20, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

From the archives: Supreme Court Explores Doctor Intent in “Pill Mill” Criminal Prosecutions Under the Controlled Substances Act

Previously published on June 24, 2022
Attorney & Author HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Physicians and other healthcare professionals usually have broad scope to prescribe most drugs, including potentially dangerous ones. However, over the past decade, many limits, often imposed arbitrarily through criminal prosecutions or drastic administrative sanctions, have been used to impose limits.

The question was recently put before the U.S. Supreme Court as to how far a physician’s judgment can be allowed to go in the context of prescribing controlled substances before it becomes criminal. This was in the context of criminal prosecution of a physician for allegedly over-prescribing.

On […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:20-04:00September 18, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

Locating an HPSO or Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Attorney to Defend You in a Complaint Against Your Pharmacist License

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

All healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and pharmacies, should know the importance of good professional liability insurance. These policies protect them from the financial burden of legal expenses in case of any complaints or lawsuits filed against them. Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) Insurance and Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Company (PMIC) are both popular insurance companies that offers professional liability insurance to pharmacists and their pharmacies at a low and affordable rate. However, many pharmacists may need to realize the full extent of coverage that their policy offers.

Under a policy with […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:22-04:00August 23, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

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 |2024-03-14T09:59:24-04:00July 26, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

First COVID-19 Breathalyzer Test Authorized By FDA

Author Headshot

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

On April 14, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the first Covid-19 diagnostic test that uses breath samples. The test, made by Texas-based company, InspectIR Systems, is authorized for those patients 18 and older.

InspectIR expects to produce approximately 100 testing instruments per week, which can each be used to evaluate approximately 160 samples per day. At this level of production, testing capacity using the InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer is expected to increase by about 64,000 samples per month, according to the FDA’s […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:25-04:00July 20, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

Medications and Other Substances that Mimic Prohibited Drugs on Urinalysis Drug Tests (Part 1 of a Blog Series)

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
In representing nurses and other licensed health professionals, we constantly discuss positive drug screenings, usually from employer-ordered drug testing, with our clients.  These clients include nurses, pharmacists, dental professionals, mental health counselors, therapists, etc.  Often these individuals need to remember that if they apply for a job with a new employer or are working for a large corporation or the government, they are subject to employer-ordered drug screenings.  Most problems arise when the professional has applied to a hospital or a placement agency for work in a hospital and they must submit to a pre-employment drug […]
By |2024-03-14T09:59:25-04:00July 18, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

From the archives: COVID Uninsured Provider Relief Fund Expected To Run Out of Money Soon If Congress Doesn’t Act

Previously published on April 19, 2022
Attorney and Author HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created the “Provider Relief Fund” (PRF) to help support healthcare providers in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal program has served as a lifeline to frontline healthcare workers who’ve experienced revenue losses and increased demand for their services during the pandemic.

To date, it has allocated more than $178 billion in payments to over 410,000 providers across the United States. Click here to learn more.

COVID-19 Uninsured Relief Fund.

Let’s start with some good news: Under […]

By |2024-03-14T09:59:25-04:00July 14, 2023|Pharmacy Law Blog|

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|

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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