whistleblower defense attorney | The Health Law Firm Blog

Hospital Countersues Whistleblower for Failing to Report Information Internally in FCA Suit

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|2024-03-14T10:00:05-04:00February 3, 2020|Health Facilities Law 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|

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|

Florida Governor’s Prescription Foreign Drug Importation Plan Gains House 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|2024-03-14T10:00:16-04:00March 18, 2019|Pharmacy Law Blog|

Walgreens Agrees to Pay $269 Million to Settle Two FCA Suits

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

On January 22, 2019, Walgreens agreed to pay more than $269 million to settle allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations for overbilling of various drugs. The deals are some of the largest pay-outs ever by a retail pharmacy, according to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Two Settlements.

There were two separate complaints involving Walgreens to settle federal and state lawsuits that accused the pharmacy of overbilling federal healthcare programs. Both were unsealed by U.S. District Court judges in Manhattan, according to […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:18-04:00January 29, 2019|Pharmacy Law Blog|

DOJ Announces $2.8 Billion Recovered Funds From Healthcare Cases in 2018

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

On December 21, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it recovered more than $2.8 billion from False Claims Act (FCA) (also known as “qui tam” or “whistleblower cases”) cases in 2018. Of the $2.8 billion in settlements and judgments that the government obtained during the year through FCA cases, more than $2.5 billion involved health care fraud. These cases included drug and medical device manufacturers, managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, hospice organizations, laboratories, and physicians.

Health Care Fraud.

The DOJ’s largest recoveries involving the health care industry in 2018 came from the drug and medical […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:19-04:00January 28, 2019|Health Facilities Law Blog|

DOJ Announces $2.8 Billion Recovered From Healthcare FCA Cases in 2018

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

On December 21, 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it recovered more than $2.8 billion from False Claims Act (FCA) (also known as “qui tam” or “whistleblower cases”) cases in 2018. Of the $2.8 billion in settlements and judgments that the government obtained during the year through FCA cases, more than $2.5 billion involved health care fraud. These cases included drug and medical device manufacturers, managed care providers, hospitals, pharmacies, hospice organizations, laboratories, and physicians.

Health Care Fraud.

The DOJ’s largest recoveries involving the health care industry in 2018 came from the drug and medical […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:19-04:00January 14, 2019|Pharmacy Law Blog|

Florida Sues Walgreens, CVS For Alleged Role in Helping Create and Increase Opioid Crisis

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

On November 19, 2018, the state of Florida announced that it is suing pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS over their role in what it calls “unconscionable efforts to increase and expand the ongoing opioid crisis in Florida.” State Attorney General Pam Bondi’s office announced that it added the two companies to a lawsuit filed in May 2018, against opioid distributors and manufacturers.

The Supply and Demand Problem with Opioids.

The state alleges that the two chains are responsible for overselling addictive opioids, as well as not taking precautionary measures to stop illegal sales, helping to inflate the supply […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:00:20-04:00November 29, 2018|Pharmacy Law Blog|

Owner of Louisiana Health Care Company To Pay Nearly $7 Million for Medicaid Fraud

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

On December 20, 2016, the owner of Louisiana-based Millennium Health Care Services (Millennium) must pay the state nearly $7 million in restitution and will spend 10 years behind bars for his role in a scheme to defraud the Medicaid system, according to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.

Millennium’s owner, Dwaine Woods, was ordered to pay $6,985,249 in restitution after his wife and the company were all found guilty of engaging in a criminal conspiracy to create multiple fake CPR cards for Millennium staff. The staff did not undergo training to be properly certified in CPR, Landry said.

The […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:01:23-04:00May 15, 2018|Health Facilities Law Blog|

Owner of Louisiana-Based Health Care Company Ordered To Pay Nearly $7 Million for Medicaid Fraud

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

On December 20, 2016, the owner of Louisiana-based Millennium Health Care Services (Millennium) was ordered to pay the state nearly $7 million in restitution and will spend 10 years behind bars for his role in a scheme to defraud the Medicaid system, according to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry.

Millennium’s owner, Dwaine Woods, was ordered to pay $6,985,249 in restitution after his wife and the company were all found guilty of engaging in a criminal conspiracy to create multiple fake CPR cards for Millennium staff. The staff did not undergo training to be properly certified […]

By The Health Law Firm|2024-03-14T10:02:00-04:00May 15, 2018|Nursing Law Blog|