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Counselors and Psychotherapists: Simple Rules for Keeping Your License and Avoiding Complaints

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

I represent many mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and professional counselors, defending them on complaints being investigated against their professional licenses. Many complaints and investigations arise because the therapist has strayed over the line and crossed the therapist-client boundary. In reviewing these cases, I have drawn up a list of a few simple “bright line” rules that can help save you many hours of stress and mental anguish as well as thousands of dollars […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:39-04:00May 21, 2021|Health Facilities Law Blog, In the Know|

Florida Judge Won’t Toss Lawsuit Filed By Family of Publix Employee Who Died of Coronavirus

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

On February 5, 2021, a judge in Florida refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the family of a Publix Super Markets deli worker who died after allegedly catching COVID-19 from a coworker. Judge Carlos Lopez announced that he would not dismiss the lawsuit filed by Gerardo Gutierrez’s family, who died on April 28, 2020, from complications caused by coronavirus. The suit was filed in the Florida Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade County, Florida, in November 2020.

Publix Accused of Failing Its Workers & the Miami Beach Community.

The suit […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:41-04:00April 23, 2021|In the News, Pharmacy Law Blog|

Medical Information Bureau (MIB) Reports and How They Affect Your Insurance Rates

By Amanda I. Forbes, J.D.

When you apply for insurance, an insurance company will look at various factors regarding your history to determine how much your insurance policy will cost. Most insurers obtain a report from the Medical Information Bureau (“MIB”) and use this in determining the risk you pose and, hence, your policy premium.

The MIB checks past records to identify any errors, misrepresentations, or omissions made on an insurance application. An MIB report is similar to a credit report except it is specifically tailored for the insurance process. Click here to learn more.

What Does the MIB do?

Since 1902, the MIB […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:42-04:00April 15, 2021|Dental Law Blog, In the Know|

Civil and Criminal Enforcement of HIPAA Privacy and Security Regs on the Rise

Attorney George F. Indest III, The Health Law Firm

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

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR), a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the federal organization responsible for investigating complaints and enforcing the Privacy and Security Regulations implementing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly referred to as “HIPAA.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be leveling off and more employees are going back to the office, and into the field, HIPAA complaint investigations will definitely pick up. Furthermore, criminal prosecutions for violations of HIPAA have recently been on […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:43-04:00April 9, 2021|Health care Law|

Military Non-judicial Punishments or Article 15 Proceedings Are Not Criminal Convictions–Military Physicians, Dentists and Nurses Should Know This

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

Our firm represents many military and former military health professionals. We are often asked how a non-judicial punishment or Article 15 proceeding will be treated for license applications, clinical privileges applications, and background screenings.

Article 15 Non-judicial Punishment Is Not the Same as a Court-martial or a Criminal Proceeding.

Under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), which is also codified in 10 U.S.C. § 815, a commanding officer may issue an administrative punishment to enlisted or officer personnel under her command. These are not considered criminal convictions for any purpose, […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:43-04:00April 6, 2021|In the Know, In the News, Nursing Law Blog|

Multiple Settlements with HHS for HIPAA Security Rule Violations & Data Breaches

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

In September 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced three settlements to resolve alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. The settlements, totaling $10.6 million, stem from data breaches in which hackers were able to access and obtain individuals’ protected health information (PHI) from U.S. health providers. Combined, the three hacking incidents compromised the health information of more than 16 million patients.

Summary of the HIPAA Security Rule Settlements.

On September 21, 2020, the Office of Civil Rights, or OCR, the division […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:44-04:00April 1, 2021|Health care Law, Pharmacy Law Blog|

Florida Passes Law for Health Professional Background Screening

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:44-04:00April 1, 2021|Health care Law|

New Policy Changes to USMLE Exams and How They Impact Medical Students, Graduates

By Achal A. Aggarwal, J.D.

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (“USMLE”) is a three-step examination required to obtain a medical license. It is written and administered by the USMLE Secretariat of the National Board of Medical Examiners (“NBME”) and is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (“FSMB”) and the USMLE.

Medical students desiring to practice in the U.S. are under immense pressure to not only pass the exams but to excel at them. Specifically, the USMLE Step 1 Examination, the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (“CK”) Examination, and the USMLE Step […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:45-04:00March 29, 2021|In the News, Medical Education Law Blog|

Simple Rules for Keeping Your License and Avoiding Complaints for Counselors and Psychotherapists

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

I represent many mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, and professional counselors, defending them on complaints being investigated against their professional licenses. Many complaints and investigations arise because the therapist has strayed over the line and crossed the therapist-client boundary. In reviewing these cases, I have drawn up a list of a few simple “bright line” rules that can help save you many hours of stress and mental anguish as well as thousands of dollars in attorney’s […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:45-04:00March 26, 2021|In the Know, In the News, Mental Health Law Blog|

Doctors & Nurses: Follow These 30 Tips for Professional Correspondence

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

I review many letters, e-mails, memoranda, and other types of correspondence prepared by my physician and nurse clients during my legal representation. These come to me often because of a dispute with a hospital, their peers, an insurance company, a lawsuit filed by a patient, a complaint being investigated by the licensing agency, an investigation of an incident, or another serious matter.

In many cases, way too many cases, such correspondence is unprofessional and defeats the purpose of the reason you are sending the correspondence. Sometimes the “letter” is so bad, […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T09:59:45-04:00March 18, 2021|Health Facilities Law Blog, In the Know|