In the News | The Health Law Firm Blog

Nationwide Telephone Scam: Phony DEA Agents Extorting Money from Victims

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 the public 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.

Do Not Wire Money to Phony DEA Agents.

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 […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:41-04:00June 1, 2018|DEA, HIPAA, In the News, Pharmaceutical Drugs, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Ohio Hospital Settles Whistleblower Case to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., Attorney, The Health Law Firm

A group of doctors accused of performing an unusually high number of heart procedures on patients at an Ohio hospital has settled a whistleblower lawsuit, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The settlement agreement covers accusations that the doctors and the hospital billed Medicare for unnecessary cardiac procedures from 2001 to 2006.

Click here to read the press release from the DOJ.

The Ohio hospital agreed to pay the U.S. government $3.9 million, and the physician group agreed to pay $541,870 to settle the accusations.

Former Hospital Manager Speaks Up.

In October […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:43-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the News, The Health Law Firm Blog, Whistleblower|

Is It Legal to Make Flu Shots Mandatory for Health Care Professionals?

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

The warnings have been loud and clear from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This influenza season is off to an early and serious start. With that in mind, a number of states are requiring all health professionals in the state to receive the flu vaccination. Some of those opposed to getting vaccinated are being fired by hospitals and health facilities. Because of this, a controversy is arising between employee rights and patient safety, according to a number of news sources.

Click here to read more on […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:44-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, In the News, Nurses, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Medicare Put the Hospice Industry Under the Microscope

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

It’s no surprise to anyone that Medicare is cracking down on hospices around the country. According to a report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), eighty-two percent (82%) of hospices’ claims did not meet Medicare coverage requirements. That is why Medicare is investigating the industry as a whole. Specific details on what Medicare is looking for can be found in the 2013 OIG Work Plan. Click here to read the 2013 OIG Work Plan.

So far, Medicare has kept true to its word. During the week of […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:44-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, In the News, Medicare, Medicare Audit, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Update: Fake DEA Agents Calling Citizens, Claiming to Have Arrest Warrant

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

Health care providers beware, there is a scam making its rounds in Central Florida. Con men are telephoning citizens, including physicians, and pretending to be Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents in the hope of extorting money from them.

It’s a scam we first told you about in December 2012, but have since learned more. Click here to read my first blog on this nationwide telephone scam.

Fake DEA Agents Conning Citizens and Health Providers.

The scam starts with criminals posing as DEA agents calling victims by telephone. Frequently, just […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:44-04:00June 1, 2018|DEA, In the Know, In the News, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Lehigh University Student Sues Grad School for $1.3 Million for Bad Grade

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

While in school, we all received grades that we believed to be unfair or unwarranted. One graduate of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, has taken her bad grade to court. She is suing the university over a “C+” grade. In the lawsuit, the student claims that if not for a zero she was given in participation for a fieldwork class in 2009, she would have gotten a “B.” That grade would have allegedly allowed the student to move on toward finishing her master’s in counseling and human services. The student claims the one bad grade […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:45-04:00June 1, 2018|In the Know, In the News, Medical Students, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Florida Woman Arrested for $400,000 Medicaid Fraud Scheme

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm

The owner of Homecare Unlimited, LLC, in Jacksonville, Florida, has allegedly been arrested for defrauding Medicaid out of more than $400,000, according to the Florida Office of the Attorney General (AG). The owner is charged with billing Florida’s Aged and Disabled Adult Waiver Program for services not rendered and billing for services to ineligible recipients. This Medicaid fraud scheme allegedly happened between January 2008 and June 2011.

To read the press release from the AG, click here.

Business Owner Accused of Fraud and Grand Theft.

The Florida Times-Union states that some of the people the business owner claimed to have provided services for […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:45-04:00June 1, 2018|Home health care facility, In the News, Medicaid, Medicaid audit, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Major Medicare Offender Sentenced to Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Health Care Fraud Scheme

By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm

The former owner of four mental health facilities in South Florida and North Carolina was sentenced to fourteen (14) years in federal prison on February 25, 2013. The former business owner pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare out of tens of millions of dollars from 2004 through 2011, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). He had previously been convicted of cocaine trafficking but decided to move to Medicare fraud supposedly because he thought it would be safer. In total the former mental health facility owner was indicted for defrauding the government of nearly $63 million. As part of his plea, he […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:45-04:00June 1, 2018|Assisted Living Facilities, In the News, Medicare, Medicare Audit, Medicare Fraud, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Stryker Orthopaedics Facing Dozens of Hip Implant Lawsuits

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

As of February 2013, more than 80 lawsuits have been consolidated into multicounty litigation (MCL) in the Superior Court in New Jersey against Stryker Orthopaedics. Patients are claiming the company’s Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck femoral hip systems are defective, according to a number of news sources. The case is on track to becoming one of the largest mass-tort litigations in the country.

In July 2012, Stryker issued a voluntary recall of the Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck femoral hip systems. (Click here to see the press release from Stryker.) The company is […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:46-04:00June 1, 2018|In the News, The Health Law Firm Blog|

First Trial Over DePuy Hip Implants Finished – Plaintiff Receives $8.3 Million

By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law and Carole C. Schriefer, R.N., J.D., The Health Law Firm

On March 8, 2013, a California jury ruled that Johnson and Johnson’s DePuy unit designed a defective metal-on-metal ASR XL hip implant and was negligent, according to Bloomberg News. The plaintiff in this case was awarded $8.3 million in compensation damages, after the jury found that the design of the hip implant was the reason behind the plaintiff’s injuries. This is the first trial, out of 10,750 lawsuits filed against DePuy’s ASR XL hip implant. Click here to read […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:46-04:00June 1, 2018|Health Care Industry, In the Know, In the News, Products Liability Cases, The Health Law Firm Blog|