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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|

Drug Enforcement Administration Releases Details of Investigation into Two CVS Stores in Sanford, Florida

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

In September 2012, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) revoked the controlled substance licenses from two CVS pharmacies in Sanford, Florida. Details into the investigation were made public on October 12, 2012, in a final order released by the DEA.

The order explains how the stores operated, whom they prescribed painkillers such as oxycodone to, and identified Central Florida’s top-prescribing doctors.

To read the final order from the DEA, click here.

I previously wrote about the two Sanford CVS stores losing their controlled substance licenses, […]

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

Osceola County Authorities Nab 29 People in Phony Prescription Ring

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

A sting on a prescription fraud ring netted 29 arrests in Osceola County, Florida. On December 13, 2012. Osceola County Investigative Bureau (OCIB) agents, along with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Kissimmee Police Department and St. Cloud Police Department conducted an operation nicknamed “Rx Printshop,” according to a press release from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department.

Click here to read the entire press release from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department.

Alleged Criminals Getting Phony Prescriptions Filled at Legitimate Pharmacies.

According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, operation “Rx Printshop” targeted a group of people […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:42-04:00June 1, 2018|DEA, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Pharmacy, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Dentists, 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

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|2024-03-14T10:00:43-04:00June 1, 2018|DEA, Dentist, Department of Health, Licensing issues, 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|

Number of Oxycodone-Related Deaths Down in Florida

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

It looks like Florida’s prescription drug legislation, the statewide prescription drug monitoring database and the prescription drug crackdowns by law enforcement may be working, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE states in its semi-annual report, oxycodone-related deaths statewide dropped between January and June of 2012, compared to the same period of time in 2011. A look at the national numbers shows that the number of people abusing prescription drugs is also down.

Florida and National Numbers.

In the first half of 2012, there were 759 oxycodone-related deaths in Florida, according […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:47-04:00June 1, 2018|DEA, Pain Management, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Pharmacy, The Health Law Firm Blog|

New Details Released on Drug Enforcement Administration’s Investigation of Central Florida Pain Management Clinic

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’s (DEA) investigation into a Longwood, Florida, pain management clinic continues. More details are being revealed about the case. DEA agents along with local police and sheriffs’ deputies raided the pain management clinic on June 14, 2013. Agents believe the evidence they have gathered suggests the clinic was operating as a “pill mill,” according to the Orlando Sentinel. Officials allegedly seized evidence at the clinic associated with at least ten (10) doctors and other clinic employees. No one has been arrested yet, but documents filed in federal court in Orlando […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:49-04:00June 1, 2018|DEA, Health Care Industry, In the News, Pain Management, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Pharmacy, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Phony Dentist Gets Busted for Child Abuse After Injuring Teen During Illegal Dental Procedures

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

A Miami man, his wife and their daughter have been charged with child abuse following two alleged dental procedures that left a 14-year-old girl permanently disfigured. According to a number of sources, the three were arrested on September 12, 2012, at their home-operated dental office.

Click here to see the man’s arrest affidavit from the Miami Police Department.

14-Year-Old Left in Pain and Disfigured After Procedures.

According to the Miami Herald, when the 14-year-old girl broke a front tooth, she and her mother went to the man, who claimed to […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:36-04:00June 1, 2018|Dentist, Fake Health Care Professionals, In the News, Licensing issues, The Health Law Firm Blog|

Florida Dentist Hit with an Emergency Suspension Order for Allegedly Inhaling Nitrous Oxide

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

A Debary, Florida, dentist has been served with an emergency suspension order (ESO) by the Florida Department of Health (DOH) for allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide or laughing gas in front of patients. The administrative complaint filed against the dentist on November 2, 2012, by the Florida DOH stated a department-approved evaluator deemed the dentist unfit to practice dentistry and was recommended to undergo residential treatment.

Click here to read the full administrative complaint against the dentist.

We want to point out that these are just allegations made […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:41-04:00June 1, 2018|Dentist, Department of Health, Informal Hearings, The Health Law Firm Blog|

CMS in the Hot Seat for Lax Oversight of Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

By Lenis L. Archer, J.D., M.P.H., The Health Law Firm

For years, each state has kept an eye on its own Medicaid managed care plans, while the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to monitor how well each individual state is doing. However, a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report claims CMS is sleeping on the job. The report, released on June 20, 2014, stresses the need for more federal oversight of these plans.

With the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Medicaid program is expected to expand significantly. Most of the new beneficiaries enrolled in managed care are covered almost entirely by federal […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:57-04:00June 1, 2018|Department of Health and Human Services, GAO, Government Accountability Office, Health Care Industry, HHS, In the Know, In the News, MCO, Medicaid, Medicaid managed care, Medicare, The Health Law Firm Blog|