20 Tips to Help You Survive Facing Peer Review for Your Hospital Clinical Privileges-Part 2 of 2

Posted on May 21, 2018 by thehealthlawfirm

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

In Part 1 of this blog I began a list of tips that should serve you well if you are notified by your hospital or medical staff that you are the subject of an internal or external peer review action. Click here to read Part 1.

20 Tips For Successful Outcome in Peer Review (Continued):

10.   If you are given the opportunity to meet with the reviewers or provide information to them, do so. If you haven’t been offered this, ask for it in writing.

11.   Make sure any written response is provided in a typewritten letter formal not via e-mail, text or YouTube posting or handwritten note.

12.   In your written statement or response, if you use any abbreviations, spell them out completely the first time you use them and place the abbreviation after, in parentheses. Remember, future reviews of your statement may not be physicians (e.g., a judge) or may not be in your medical specialty.

13.   It is never too early to engage experienced health car legal counsel to assist you in such matter. But if you do, make sure you do hire an actual health law attorney who has experience with medical staff peer review actions. This is no place for a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney, a criminal defense attorney or your tax, or business lawyer.

14.   If you find out that your matter is being sent out to an external peer review organization you should retain an experienced health law attorney immediately and obtain your own medical expert review.

15.   If the care being examined involved another physician as well as you, or if the care was of a patient referred by another physician, see if that physician supports the care you provided and will provide you a letter or statement saying that.

16.   If the allegation being reviewed involves facts that you know are not true, see if you can obtain evidence of this. For example, I had a case where nursing staff filed a complaint against my client a male OB/GYN claiming that the mother of a minor female patient had demanded that her daughter only be examined by a female doctor. We are able to obtain an affidavit from the mother swearing that she had never stated that. The peer review matter was dismissed and closed.

17.   If it appears that you are being targeted for repeated peer review complaints or investigations, it is time to get out of that place. Read the handwriting on the wall. However , see #1 above. Do not resign with any type of peer review pending.

18.   Remember that peer review proceedings are supposed to be confidential. Therefore work through your legal counsel in obtaining outside reviews. Do not discuss the matter with those outside the medical staff.

19.   Although the peer review process is confidential, it is not supposed to be “secretive.” The person who is the subject of peer review should have access to the complaint and medical records involved. This should not be a Star Chamber proceeding. Make a polite written request for copies of such materials or to be allowed to review them and make notes.

20.   In many cases, you may find that you did make a mistake, violate a policy or procedure, skip a step in an algorithm, fall below the standard of care, or otherwise screw up. Except in cases of the most egregious situations, your best course o action may be to admit this, explain how this happened, and outline steps you are taking to make sure it does not happen again. This is especially true when it is your first “offense” and you have many years of otherwise excellent performance. The medical staff usually wants to make sure that when a mistake occurs, the health provider has the ability to recognize it and learn from it.

Follow These Tips for The Best Results in a Peer Review Matter.

If you follow these tips, you have the best chance of coming out of the peer review without problems. However, in a really serious case, where many records are being reviewed and the allegations appear to be very serious, then it is most important to retain an experienced health care attorney at the earliest opportunity and take that attorney’s advice. You will be in for the fight of your professional life.

Click here to read Part 1 of this Blog.

For more information, read one of my prior blogs on peer review, avoiding the disruptive physician label and clinical privileges.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late, Contact a Health Law Attorney Experienced in the Process of Peer Reviews.

If you are the subject of a peer review proceeding, immediately retain experienced, knowledgeable health care counsel to represent you. The attorneys of The Health Law Firm have experience in most, if not all, types of “fair hearings” involving health care issues and health care providers.

At the Health Law Firm we provide legal services for physicians and other health care providers. This includes nurse practitioners, nurses, dentists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other health care provider. We represent facilities, individuals, groups and institutions in contracts, sales, mergers and acquisitions. We also represent physicians and health care providers in complex litigation in both state and federal courts.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

Keywords: Legal representation for peer review, peer review defense attorney, medical staff peer review confidentiality, medical staff fair hearing legal representation, medical staff fair hearing attorney, clinical privileges hearing defense attorney, clinical privileges hearing legal representation, clinical privileges hearing attorney, legal counsel on peer review process, legal representation for physician defamation, health law defense attorney, economic credentialing, sham peer review attorney, health law peer review attorney, legal representation for peer review investigations, health care litigation legal counsel, complex health care litigation attorney, legal representation for health care employment issues, disruptive physician representation, legal representation for disruptive physicians, health care employment defense attorney, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm Attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

20 Tips to Help You Survive Facing Peer Review for Your Hospital Clinical Privileges-Part 1 of 2

Posted on April 30, 2018 by thehealthlawfirm

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

If you are a physician, nurse practitioner, psychologist, clinical pharmacist, oral surgeon, ophthalmologist, or other licensed health professional with clinical privileges in a hospital, chances are that one day you will be subject to a peer review action or investigation. It may be a simple one-time matter based on a patient complaint or adverse outcome, or it may be a lengthy process involving a large number or your cases and records.

A peer review action action may be initiated because of a patient complaint. It may be commenced because of complaints filed by hospital staff. It may be begun because of an unexpected adverse outcome. It may be begun because a patient files s medical malpractice lawsuit. It may result from a statistical review by the Utilization Review office or from the Quality Improvement office.

This is part 1 of a 2 part blog series. Click here to read part 2.

A Notice of A Peer Review Must Be Treated Seriously.

Regardless of the source, or how petty or meritless it may seem, the health professional who is the subject of the peer review must treat it seriously. The actions you take may resolve the matter at a preliminary stage or it may cause an escalation to a hearing, adverse action, and a National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) Report, with career-ending results.

Tips to Survive Peer Review.

Following are tips that the individual who is the subject of a peer review action that may help you to resolve it at the lowest level feasible under the circumstances.

The following tips assume that you have been notified of an initial peer review matter ant the facts or subject being investigated.

1.   Do not resign or allow your clinical privileges to expire while the matter is pending. If you do so, this will be treated in a similar manner to having your privileges revoked in a clinical privileges matter and it will be reported out as such to the NPDB and other reporting organizations.

2.   Provide a response or explanation if given the opportunity. But make sure you have reviewed the records, researched the medical issues as appropriate, and provide a well-organized, thought-out, objective and professional response.

3.   Remember that this review is only about you and your actions. It is not about anyone else and this is not the place to make accusations about others. Discuss what you did (or did not do); do not point the finger at others and argue that they have done the same thing or worse.

4.   Remain objective. Do not lose your temper and respond in a defensive, inflammatory matter. Assume that everyone is just trying to do their jobs.

5.   In any written response, address the facts. Do not address what you think the motives of other individuals are.

6.   Make sure your response is objective. Try to avoid subjective statements. Speak in terms of provable facts and what the record or other documents show. If you have documents (e.g., office records, algorithms, standards, guidelines) that those conducting the peer review do not have, attach them to your response.

7.   Make sure your response is professional. Follow the rules for professional correspondence, that I wrote about in a prior blog about this. [Note: Add link.]

8.   If you don’t have all of the records on the matter, ask for them. Also, obtain and review any applicable hospital or department policies and procedures. Review the medical staff Rules and Regulations, as well.

9.   Support and explain what you did logically and with reference to medical journal articles and medical treatises. Attach legible copies of any relevant medical literature (or relevant portions of it). Be sure to completely identify any medical literature you attach by including title page, publication info, date, volume, pages, etc.

I will continue these tips in Part 2 of this blog.

For more information, read one of my prior blogs on peer review, avoiding the disruptive physician label and clinical privileges.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late, Contact a Health Law Attorney Experienced in the Process of Peer Reviews.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Alabama Doctor and 3 Nurse Practitioners Charged With Running Fraudulent Pill Mill

Posted on March 8, 2018 by thehealthlawfirm

8 Indest-2008-5 By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 6, 2017, three nurse practitioners and a doctor were arrested following an Alabama federal grand jury indictment accusing them of operating a “pill mill.” According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), all four allegedly dispensed controlled substances inappropriately, unlawfully and for non-medical reasons.

The Alleged Pill Mill.

The nurse practitioners and physician allegedly prescribed opioids including fentanyl, hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone and hydromorphone on a monthly basis for years, according to the indictment. They then allegedly billed health care providers for related unnecessary patient examinations.

“[The four defendants] did knowingly and intentionally conspire to distribute and dispense and cause to be distributed and dispensed mixtures and substances containing detectable amounts of controlled substances by issuing and causing prescriptions for those substances outside the usual course of professional medical practice and for no legitimate medical purposes, through the operation of a pill mill,” the indictment stated.

Prosecutors alleged the medical personnel diagnosed patients at the Alabama practice with “vague, unsubstantiated medical conditions,” and prescribed controlled substances in 30-day quantities.

Additionally, prosecutors allege that they required the patients to have a follow-up appointment involving a physical examination that was “medically unnecessary.” They would then bill health care benefit programs for the patients’ visits, usually in the amount of $75, under allegedly false and fraudulent pretenses.

The alleged scheme earned the defendants more than $10,000. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the drug conspiracy and distribution counts. They face maximum sentences of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud counts.

To read the indictment in full, click here.
Law Enforcement Raids on Physicians, Pharmacists, Nurses and Other Health Providers Will Continue.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), investigations against pill mill operations are ongoing. Additional arrests of co-conspirators, including other doctors and health providers, are forthcoming, according to the DEA. If you are a physician, pharmacist, nurse, or other health provider, ensure you are taking measures to protect yourself and your practice.

To see a prior blog I wrote on the steps pain management physicians can take to stay out of trouble, click here.
Contact a Health Law Attorney Experienced in DEA Cases.

At the Health Law Firm, we provide legal services for all health care providers and professionals. This includes physicians, nurses, health care clinics, pain management clinics, pharmacists, pharmacies, and any other health care provider. We defend pain management physicians, clinics and pharmacists in state license investigations, in administrative hearings, and in DEA actions, including Show Cause Orders (SCOs) . The services we provide include reviewing and negotiating contracts, preparing contracts, helping employers and employees enforce contracts, advice on setting aside or voiding contracts, litigation of contracts (in start or federal court), business transactions, professional license defense, opinion letters, representation in investigations, fair hearing defense, representation in peer review and clinical privileges hearings, litigation of restrictive covenant (covenants not to compete), Medicare and Medicaid audits, commercial litigation, and administrative hearings. It includes defense in federal or state court and defense in federal or state administrative hearings.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:

Robinson, Carol. “Alabama doctor, 3 nurse practitioners federally indicted in pill mill case.” AL.com (Alabama News). (December 5, 2017). Web.

Narea, Nicole. “Doctor, 3 Nurse Practitioners Charged With Running ‘Pill Mill’.” Law360. (December 5, 2017). Web.
About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: Legal representation for pain management clinic, pain management clinic defense attorney, Show Cause Order (SCO) defense attorney, Show Cause Order (SCO) defense legal counsel, Show Cause Order (SCO) defense lawyer, legal representation for over-billing, legal representation for submitting false claims, False Claims Act (FCA) defense attorney, medical license defense attorney, nursing license defense attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defense attorney, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defense counsel, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) defense lawyer, board of medicine attorney, board of pharmacy attorney, legal representation for Department of Health investigations, legal representation for allegations of over-prescribing, legal representation for U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations, DOJ investigation defense attorney, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm, The Health Law Firm attorney reviews, formal and informal administrative hearing defense attorney, formal and informal administrative hearing defense lawyer, formal and informal administrative hearing defense legal counsel

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

State of Florida Sued as DOH Fails to Grant New Pot Licenses

Posted on February 6, 2018 by thehealthlawfirm

3-indest-2009-2 By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On November 22, 2017, a plant nursery and a man who has epilepsy, filed suit alleging that it’s “high time” for the Florida Department of Health (DOH) to comply with a Florida constitutional amendment and its implementing legislation. The constitutional amendment requires the DOH to license more medical marijuana treatment centers. According to the suit that has been filed, DOH’s failure to do so is depriving patients of medication that they really need.

The Number of Licenced Treatment Centers.

Bill’s Nursery, Inc., and Michael Bowen filed suit accusing the DOH of failing to meet an October 2017 deadline to expand the number of licensed treatment centers in the state by an additional ten as it is being argued, is required by The Florida Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative. The initiative, known as Amendment 2, was passed in November 2016. Click here to learn more.

Bill’s Nursery previously applied unsuccessfully to become a medical marijuana dispensary in the state of Florida and now wants to apply to be a medical marijuana treatment center. In his suit Bowen claims he relies on medical marijuana to prevent and treat his epileptic seizures.

Treatment Center Licenses.

Despite passage of Amendment 2, the DOH has only given licenses to six additional treatment centers and is refusing to accept and consider additional applications. According to the complaint, this defies the Florida Legislature and threatens the ability of patients to access lifesaving medication. Patients and advocates for medical marijuana claim that the few that have been approved are simply not enough to provide what is needed. During a late October 2017 hearing before the Florida Senate Health Committee, Christian Bax, director of the DOH’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use, made it clear that the agency wouldn’t issue the additional licenses until pending litigation challenging a provision of the law is resolved.

According to the suit, the DOH’s refusal to license more businesses is harming competition, preventing companies like Bill’s Nursery from entering the market and strengthening the monopoly hold enjoyed by the seven current treatment centers. Additionally, in the process, the agency and officials are harming patients like Bowen, who says his life is at risk without adequate access to medicinal marijuana, the complaint says.

Click here to read the complaint in full.

To read a previous blog I wrote on the current legislation of Florida’s medical marijuana, click here.

Contact Experienced Health Law Attorneys for Medical Marijuana Concerns.

The Health Law Firm’s attorneys can assist health care providers and facilities, such as doctors, pharmacists and pharmacies, wanting to participate in the medical marijuana industry. We can assist in preparing and completing applications for registration, permitting and or licensing. We can also represent doctors, dispensaries, pharmacies, and pharmacists facing proceedings brought by state regulators or agencies.

Call now or visit our website www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:

Posses, Shayna. “Florida Sued For Dragging Feet On Medical Pot Licenses.” Law360. (November 22, 2017). Web.

Kam, Dara. “Medical marijuana license delays challenged in lawsuit.” Sun Sentinel. (November 22, 2017). Web.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331 6620.

Key Words: Medical and recreational marijuana use, legal counsel for medical marijuana, medical marijuana defense attorney, legal representation for medical marijuana growers and distributors, expanding marijuana industry in Florida, medical marijuana growers and distributors, expanding marijuana industry in Florida, medical marijuana dispensary defense attorney, The Health Law Firm Reviews, lawyer for medical marijuana growers and distributors, health lawyers for marijuana distributors, medical marijuana lawyer, legal counsel for marijuana industry, approval of Florida Constitution Amendment 2, The Health Law Firm attorney reviews, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.Copyright 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

20 Tips Plus a Bonus for Physicians Negotiating Their Own Employment Contracts

Posted on August 7, 2017 by thehealthlawfirm

4 Indest-2009-3 By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

At The Health Law Firm, we often receive calls from physicians and health professionals about reviewing and negotiating contracts, preparing contracts, helping employers and employees enforce contracts, voiding contracts, getting out of contracts and litigating various contract provisions. Physicians and other health professionals should understand the common language and terms found in employment contracts for professionals so they can recognize mistakes commonly when negotiating them.

Our comments here are meant to provide general tips we have learned from our experience. However, please remember, every situation is different and there are exceptions to every rule. I have added a “bonus tip” here, because of recent problems our clients have had.

“Bonus Tip;” The Prime Directive.

My primary tip, and I would say it is the most important, is to know the persons and parties with whom you are contracting and be sure the contract contains that information. Make sure you know the complete name and residence address of the principal person with whom you are dealing. Then be sure you know the complete information on any business entity with which you are dealing, including state of incorporation (or organization), shareholders (or “owners” or members), and address of its main headquarters (principal place of business). If other business entities are the shareholders, owners or members of the entity for which you will be working, you need to find out the same information for each of them. Make sure they are all authorized to do business in your state and have the appropriate licenses that your state requires.

In Florida, any medical business that is not actually 100% owned by Florida licensed physicians or health professionals must have a Health Care Clinic license issued by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Dental practices and optometry practices cannot be owned by anyone who is not licensed to practice dentistry in the state of Florida. Some unscrupulous business people attempt to skirt the law by setting up phoney or “straw man” owners that are physicians or dentists. This is illegal, a felony in many cases, so be cautious. My advice would be not to sign up with a business entity that has been created solely for the purpose of contracting with you and which has no assets. This has been a real problem, lately.

20 More Tips.

The following are a few tips for any physician who is involved in negotiating his or her own employment agreement.

1. There is no such thing as a “standard physician employment agreement.”

2. Everything is negotiable.

3. Be sure the wording of the contract represents exactly the agreement you made. If it is different or not specified, the language in the contract will govern in any future dispute.

4. Be sure that every blank in the contract is completed and filled in before you sign.

5. Be sure that every Exhibit, Addendum or Schedule referred to in the contract is completed and attached before you sign.

6. Shun “legal” advice from your peers and, especially, from the accountants and representatives of your future employer. Misinformation about legal issues abounds. Just because one court may have decided a legal issue a certain way in one case in one state does not mean a different court would not reach a different decision, even in the same state or county. Every set of facts and circumstances, every contract and every case are different.

7. Obtain and review copies of every document referred to in the agreement. These are considered part of the agreement. These may include the practice’s policies and procedures, the employee handbook, a code of conduct, sexual harassment policy, compliance agreements, etc. Keep these in a file with a copy of your contract.

8. Carefully consider clauses that allow the employer to terminate the agreement without cause on a 30 day, 60 day, 90 day or 180 day notice. With such a clause in your contract, you no longer have a one year or two year agreement. Instead, you have a 30 day, 60 day, 90 day or 180 day contract. Can you find another job and relocate in 30 days or 60 days?

9. If there is a “for cause” termination provision in the contract, be sure to include a “cure” provision. This is a provision which requires the employer to provide you written notice of any deficiency or breach and allows you a certain period of time (usually anywhere from 10 to 30 days) to cure it.

10. Ensure the contract is clear throughout that you are an employee and not an independent contractor. Employees receive far more benefits and have more protections under the law than do independent contractors. If you sign on as an independent contractor, you will be assuming many expenses and liabilities that the employer would ordinarily be required to assume.

11. A promise to make you a “partner” or “shareholder” in the practice after a certain period of time will not be enforceable unless all of the terms are specified in order for a court to enforce it. (Price, timing, percentage of ownership, method of payment of the buy-in, etc.). Think of an option to purchase a house. Unless all of the terms for a binding contract are set forth in writing and agreed to by the parties, it will not be enforceable.

12. If you sign the agreement, be prepared to honor it. Do not sign an agreement thinking that there may be certain provisions that won’t be enforceable or that you won’t be required to follow in the future. Assume that every part of the contract is enforceable.

13. Restrictive covenants (sometimes referred to as covenants not to compete) are enforceable in Florida. Although there are many exceptions and defenses that can be used to defeat or prevent the enforcement of a restrictive covenant, unless you have the money set aside to finance litigation, expect to honor it if it is in the agreement. As an employee, your negotiation strategy should be to: a) have it removed completely, or b) reduce the period of time and reduce the geographic area as low as possible. Also, it should be worded so as to only apply to the office or location in which you work and to the medical subspecialty or type of practice in which you will work.

14. Avoid assuming any obligation to pay the premium for tail coverage for professional liability (medical malpractice) insurance, especially if the employer terminates the employment. If you are not able to negotiate this away completely: a) reduce the percentage you agree to pay to 50% or have it reduced 25% for each year you are in the practice, and b) insert a provision that if you maintain the same insurance company or obtain retroactive coverage, this will be substituted for tail coverage.

15. Visit the practice, hospital and area at least three (3) times before signing. One of these visits should be without the knowledge of the potential employer when you can tour the geographic area and, perhaps, the hospitals on your own.

16. Contact any physicians you know or have met in the past who live in the area or any surrounding areas. They may be able to provide you information regarding your potential employer, hospital or city that may affect your decision.

17. Do your “due diligence” before agreeing. Ask to see actual billing and collections figures and income statements. Talk to other associates. If your compensation will be based on productivity, speak with another physician who is similarly compensated about how his/her compensation is computed. Visit any hospital, nursing home or other facility where you will have privileges or see patients. Discuss the quality of the equipment and stuff with other physicians and physicians in surrounding communities.

18. Do not buy a permanent residence (house or condominium) during your first two years of employment with a new practice in a new location. Rent or rent with an option to purchase. This will give you much more flexibility if the employment situation does not work out to your expectations.

19. If you receive a signing bonus, put it in the bank in a CD or money market to use as needed in connection with tips 14 and 15 above. This may be your personal “golden parachute” if you need to leave a bad situation.

20. Do not start working until you have a copy of the employment agreement. A draft copy if not sufficient. A copy signed by you but not by the employer is not sufficient. The most common problem we see when there is a physician employment dispute is that the employee does not have a copy of the contract that is signed by the employer.

Contact a Health Care Attorney Experienced in Negotiating and Evaluating Physician and Health Professional’s Business Transactions.

At the Health Law Firm we provide legal services for all health care providers and professionals. This includes physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, durable medical equipment suppliers (DME), medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other health care provider.

The services we provide include reviewing and negotiating contracts, preparing contracts, helping employers and employees enforce contracts, advice on setting aside or voiding contracts, litigation of contracts (in start or federal court), business transactions, professional license defense, opinion letters, representation in investigations, fair hearing defense, representation in peer review and clinical privileges hearings, litigation of restrictive covenant (covenants not to compete), Medicare and Medicaid audits, commercial litigation, and administrative hearings.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

KeyWords: Physician employment agreement, physician employment contract, health professional contracting, negotiating business transactions, physician contracts, contracting tips, legal representation for physician contracts, legal representation for negotiating physician contracts, contracting defense attorney, physician contract attorney, legal representation for contract litigation, legal representation for business litigation, legal counsel for contract terms, legal representation for physician agreements, legal representation for business transactions, legal counsel for restrictive covenants, legal counsel for noncompetition agreements, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, health law defense attorney, health law attorney

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of The Health Law Firm, P.A., and Florida professional service corporation, since 1999, and is also a registered service mark. Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott Makes Changes to Florida Impaired Practitioners Program

Posted on July 28, 2017 by thehealthlawfirm

indest1 By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 31, 2017, Florida Governor, Rick Scott, signed into law House Bill 229 (Ch. 2017-41, Laws of Florida), which made changes to the statutory basis for Florida’s impaired practitioner programs. The impaired practitioner program for nurses in Florida is the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN), which is a for-profit corporation, The impaired practitioner program for doctors, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists, and all other licensed health professionals is the Professionals Resource Network (PRN), a non-profit corporation.

The program, as envisioned in the statute, is designed to assist health care practitioners who are impaired as a result of the misuse or abuse of alcohol or drugs, or of a mental or physical condition, which could affect the ability to practice with skill and safety.

Revisions to the Program.

The new law requires DOH to establish terms and conditions of the program by contract, provides contract terms, requires DOH to refer practitioners to consultants and revises grounds for refusing to issue or renew license, certificate, or registration in health care professions.

A significant change in the program involved a licensee’s duty to report colleagues that have or are suspected of having an impairment. The new law creates an exception to the mandatory reporting of an impairment to the DOH. The new revision will allow a licensee who knows that a person is unable to practice with reasonable skill and safety due to an impairment, to report such information to the consultant, rather than DOH. Both the core licensure statute and individual practice acts are amended to include this language.

Be sure to check Florida’s DOH website regularly for news and updates, here.

To learn more about how The Health Law Firm can help you with matters involving the DOH, click here.

If You Are Instructed to Contact IPN or PRN, Call an Attorney First.

If you are ever instructed by your employer or anyone else to report yourself to the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) or to the Professionals Resource Network (PRN), consult with an experienced health law attorney first. There are many problems that you can avoid by having good legal advice before you make a stupid mistake. We are often consulted and retained by clients when after they have made mistakes in talking to the wrong people about the wrong things and are in a situation they could have avoided.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Investigations of Health Professionals and Providers.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and other health providers in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, FBI investigations, Medicare investigations, Medicaid investigations and other types of investigations of health professionals and providers. We represent impaired physicians and other health professionals in Professional Resource Network (PRN) and disruptive physician matters.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.
Sources:

“Changes to Florida Reporting for Impaired Practitioners.” Holland & Knight LLP. (June 7, 2017). Web.

Mckown, Mia. “Changes to Florida Reporting for Impaired Practitioners.” Lexology. (June 7, 2017). Web.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

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Former Pharmaceutical Sales Rep to Serve 70 Months in Prison for Part in $13M Oxycodone Scheme

Posted on April 10, 2017 by thehealthlawfirm

6 Indest-2008-3 By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On March 24, 2017, a federal judge in the U.S. Southern District of Florida in Miami sentenced a former pharmaceutical salesman to nearly six years in prison for his part in a $13 million money laundering scheme. The scheme involved more than two million oxycodone pills, which the salesperson allegedly helped supply to pain clinics by falsely telling pharmaceutical wholesalers that the clinics weren’t “pill mills.”

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom, sentenced Jonathan Sendor to 70 months in prison after he pled guilty in January 2017 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Sendor was essentially working as a broker between wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers and pain clinics attempting to procure a supply of oxycodone for patients of pill mills.
The Scheme.

According to prosecutors, Sendor and two co-conspirators operated six pain clinics in Florida between March 2010 and June 2011. The co-conspirators operated the clinics to ensure that the maximum amount of oxycodone would be prescribed without a legitimate medical need, and purely for the sake of profit. The six clinics dispensed and distributed more than two million oxycodone pills before they were caught and shut down in 2011. The clinics made roughly $13.5 million from the unlawful prescriptions, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Sendor helped the pain clinics receive a steady supply of the drug through the wholesalers, prosecutors alleged. For his part in the scheme, Sendor allegedly created multiple companies, building on the connections he had formed as a pharmaceutical salesman. He then proceeded to act as a “quasi-broker” between the doctors of the pain clinics needing the oxycodone and the wholesalers distributing the drug.

Sendor was able to mislead wholesale pharmaceutical companies and told them that he would function as an inspector. It is alleged that he conducted fake inspection visits to the pain clinics and required the clinics’ doctors to complete a survey. When the surveys were completed, he misrepresented the results and advised the doctors, pain clinic managers, owners and other co-conspirators to lie on the survey form.

In 2010, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi helped pass legislation banning doctors from dispensing narcotic medications out of their office. After the law changed, Sendor then assisted in the opening of two pharmacies – one in Boca Raton and another in Orlando, Florida. Patients of the six pain clinics were then directed to these pharmacies for oxycodone.

To read the DOJ’s press release in full, click here.

To learn more about the pill mill problem in Florida, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

Contact a Health Law Attorney Experienced in DEA Cases.

At the Health Law Firm, we provide legal services for all health care providers and professionals. This includes physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, durable medical equipment suppliers (DME), medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other health care provider. We defend pain management physicians, clinics and pharmacists in state license investigations, in administrative hearings, and in DEA actions. The services we provide include reviewing and negotiating contracts, preparing contracts, helping employers and employees enforce contracts, advice on setting aside or voiding contracts, litigation of contracts (in start or federal court), business transactions, professional license defense, opinion letters, representation in investigations, fair hearing defense, representation in peer review and clinical privileges hearings, litigation of restrictive covenant (covenants not to compete), Medicare and Medicaid audits, commercial litigation, and administrative hearings.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at http://www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:

Lincoff, Nina. “South Florida pain clinics tied up in $13M money laundering conspiracy.” South Florida Business Journal. (January 17, 2017). Web.

Posses, Shayna. “Sales Rep To Serve 70 Months For $13M Oxycodone Scheme.” Law360. (March 24, 2017). Web.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area. http://www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: Legal representation for prescription drug abuse, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) cases, legal representation for DEA investigations, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, legal representation for schemes to over-prescribe narcotics, legal representation for schemes to traffic narcotics, pill mill defense attorney, legal representation for doctor shopping, legal representation for pill mills, legal representation for pharmacists, legal representation for pharmacies pharmacy defense attorney, pharmacist defense attorney, administrative hearing attorney, DEA defense attorney, Department of Health investigations, legal representation for DOH investigations, DOH investigation defense attorney, prescription drug crackdown, Florida prescription drug abuse, prescription drug trafficking, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

Wisconsin Supermarket Violated FCA With Illegal Kickbacks, Pharmacist Claims

Posted on February 3, 2017 by thehealthlawfirm

8 Indest-2008-5 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, a pharmacist and whistle blower told an Illinois federal court that Wisconsin and Chicago-area chain of grocery stores, Roundy’s Supermarket, Inc. (Roundy’s), knew gift cards it was providing Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries were actually illegal kickbacks. In defense of his False Claims Act (FCA) Suit, the whistle blower claims the chain proceeded to hand them out anyway despite knowing they were illegal.

The Whistle Blower and the Alleged Scheme.

The whistle blower in the suit, pharmacist Jefferey Kotwica, alleged the company was involved in illegal kickbacks, thus allegedly defrauding government health care programs, by offering gift cards to pharmacy customers that exceeded legal limits. Roundy’s enacted a Script Saver Program that gave all customers “pharmacy club coupons” for pharmacy purchases. When they reached five of those coupons, they could be redeemed for a $10 gift card, the complaint states. At some stores, the number of coupons necessary for a gift card was lowered to three, Kotwica said.

Roundy’s has mounted a defense to these allegations. Despite that defense, the whistle blower maintains the gift cards were more than the legal nominal value allowed. The whistle blower claimed additionally that the “retailer reward exception” failed because the gift cards were tied to the services the government health care programs reimbursed and were meant to induce customers to transfer prescriptions to the store.

The pharmacist and whistle blower in the case, claimed that he heard corporate executives discussing having Medicare and Medicaid recipients excluded from the program because they were concerned their inclusion was illegal, but never acted on that concern. Therefore, Kotwica said that this shows that Roundy’s had the intent to violate the FCA. The whistle blower also claimed that the company retaliated against him for speaking out to the point where he resigned his position as a pharmacist with it.

The case was originally filed in June 2015. Like all federal False Claims Act (FCA) cases, it remained sealed until ordered unsealed by the court. It was unsealed in July 2016 after the U.S., and the states of Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin declined to intervene in the case. Click here to read the response in this case.

Fighting Government Fraud and Abuse.

This case was brought under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) or federal “whistle blower law.” This law contains standards for both civil and criminal penalties against those filing false claims for services paid for by the government. False Claims Act cases, such as this recent one, are typically filed in a qui tam (or whistle blower) proceeding. This type of action involves a private party filing a lawsuit on behalf of the government against a defendant who allegedly defrauded the government. The “whistle blower” receives a percentage of the money recovered by the government (if any), through any judgment or settlement of the case. Often the amounts awarded to the whistle blower are in the millions of dollars. Whistle blowers are often protected from receiving any potential civil liability or prosecution for their involvement in the matter.

Our firm has been on both sides of both federal and state whistle blower or qui tam cases. We have represented nurses, physicians, pharmacists and other health professionals in bringing such cases. We have also defended physicians, health care providers, medical groups and health facilities in such cases.

We have also represented relators or plaintiffs bringing such actions to recover money on behalf of the government. A qui tam relator can receive up to 30% of the amount recovered on behalf of the government. This means, for example, that of a defendant settles with the government paying back $5 million, the relator or whistle blower can receive up to $1.5 million, plus his attorney’s fees and costs. Usually, the biggest obstacle to bringing any such case is being able to show an actual false claim that was filed.

If you have information concerning health care fraud by overbilling federal health care programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, do not hesitate to take action. The government urges health care providers to step forward and report illegal and fraudulent activities as soon as they are uncovered. The False Claims Act provides a system of rewards that encourages whistle blowers to bring these issues to the government’s attention.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Health Care Fraud and Qui Tam or Whistleblower Cases.

The Health Law Firm’s attorneys routinely represent physicians, nurses, dentists, orthodontists, medical groups, clinics, pharmacies, assisted living facilities (AFLs), home health care agencies, nursing homes, group homes and other healthcare providers in bringing or defending against False Claims Act, whistle blower or qui tam cases. We also defend health care providers in Medicare and Medicaid investigations, audits and recovery actions. We represent plaintiffs and defendants in complex health care litigation in state or federal courts.

Attorneys with The Health Law Firm also represent health care professionals and others who may desire to file a qui tam, False Claims Act or whistle blower suit. We work with physicians, nurses and other professionals to investigate, document and file such cases. We have developed relationships with recognized experts in health care accounting, health care financing, utilization review, medical review, filling, coding and other services that assist us in such matters. We have represented number of doctors and other licensed health professionals as relators in bringing qui tam or whistle blower cases. Our attorneys are also available to defend physicians, medical groups and health care providers in qui tam or whistle blower cases.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:

Kass, Dani. “Wis. Supermarket Should Face FCA Suit, Pharmacist Says.” Law360. (December 20, 2016). Web.

“Wis. Supermarket Should Face FCA Suit, Pharmacist Says.” Make Me Feed. (December 21, 2016). Web.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: False Claims Act (FCA) defense attorney, whistle blower defense attorney, qui tam defense attorney, legal representation for FCA claims, legal representation for qui tam cases, legal representation for whistle blower defense cases, Medicare and Medicaid fraud defense attorney, legal representation for Medicare and Medicaid fraud, legal representation for illegal kickback schemes, health care fraud defense lawyer, health care fraud scheme, legal representation for Medicare and Medicaid fraud investigation, Florida FCA defense attorney, Colorado FCA defense attorney, Kentucky FCA defense attorney, Louisiana FCA defense attorney, District of Columbia FCA defense attorney, Virginia FCA defense attorney, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, complex health care litigation attorney, legal defense of complex health care business disputes, complex litigation defense counsel

East Texas Lab Agrees to Pay $3.75 Million to Settle False Claims Suit

Posted on January 30, 2017 by thehealthlawfirm

5 Indest-2008-2 By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 14, 2016, owners of an East Texas clinical laboratory who overcharged Medicare for falsified driving mileage bills have agreed to pay the U.S. government $3.75 million to settle a whistle blower’s False Claims Act (FCA) lawsuit. The suit was brought by a former employee, the U.S. attorney’s office announced.

Submitting False Claims.

Texas-based Elite Lab Services LLC (Elite) and its owners, Gerard and Suzanne Dengler, reportedly settled claims brought under the False Claims Act (FCA) by plaintiff Karen Malcolm. The Denglers admitted that from approximately 2010 to 2014 they submitted inflated employee mileage claims to Medicare and billed the government health agency knowing it does not pay for mileage claims in excess of actual miles driven.

According to court documents, the defendants employed phlebotomists who traveled around East Texas to collect blood samples and transport those samples back to Elite for lab services. For several years, the defendants at Elite knowingly submitted or caused to be submitted inflated mileage calculations beyond the actual distances driven by the employees.

The Whistle Blower.

In 2014, the whistle blower Malcolm, filed the suit alleging that Elite had defrauded Medicare. She claimed that she approached the Denglers in the spring of that year to voice concerns about the billing practices, but the issue was not corrected. She then resigned from the company as a result. The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that the government intervened in the suit for purposes of the settlement.

In an agreed final judgment, the parties said that the defendants relinquished and waived all right and title to more than $2.5 million in cash held in a collection of several financial accounts and sales of real property that they owned to satisfy the settlement in the instant case.

As a result of the deal, Malcolm will receive a 21 percent share of the recovery, totaling $787,500, authorities said.

Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases brought on by whistleblowers are unfortunately becoming more common. To read about the serious repercussions of cases like this, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

Contact an Experienced Health Law Attorney to Assist in Whistleblower/Qui Tam Cases.

If you have knowledge of false claims being filed against Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE/CHAMPUS or any other type of government program, please contact us, and we will be happy to assist you. Our law firm represents health professionals and health care organizations almost exclusively. Yet, we have been involved in a number of whistle blower/qui tam cases, in which we represent the person who files the claim, as well as in defending them in certain cases.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:

Wolf, Alex. “East Texas Lab Pays $3.75M For Falsified Medicare Billing.” Law360. (December 14, 2016). Web.

“Tyler lab, owners to pay $3.75 million for filing false Medicare claims.” Longview Business Journal. (December 14, 2016). Web.

“East Texas lab company, owners to pay $3.75M for false Medicare claims.” KLTV-ABC. (December 14, 2016). Web.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law is an attorney with The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: False Claims Act (FCA) attorney, legal representation for submitting false claims to the government, defense attorney, Medicare false claims defense lawyer, allegations of false billing, Medicare and Medicare fraud investigation defense attorney, consumer reports of false claims, Medicare audit defense lawyer, health care fraud defense attorney, whistle blower attorney, qui tam defense lawyer, legal representation for whistle blower suits, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, The Health Law Firm reviews, qui tam relator’s attorney, qui tam defense attorney, Florida whistle blower case, Virginia Whistle blower case, Colorado whistle blower case, Louisianan Whistle blower case, complex healthcare litigation attorney
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2016 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever

Posted on January 23, 2017 by thehealthlawfirm

5 Indest-2008-2 By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On December 14, 2016, the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released its annual False Claims Act (FCA) recovery statistics. It revealed that the DOJ obtained more than $4.7 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud and false claims against the government in fiscal year 2016. What this indicates to me is that, if all of these cases had been brought by individual relators, those relators could have shared in as much as $1.41 billion as their personal reward for the relator’s part of the recoveries. A whistle blower can receive up to 30 percent of the amount warded to the government, plus all attorney’s fees and costs, for bringing a successful False Claims Act case.

The Third Highest Annual Recovery.

Based on these statistics, 2016 took its place as the third highest annual recovery since the FCA was established in the 1800s. The fiscal year average jumps to nearly $4 billion since fiscal year 2009, and the total recovery during that period to $31.3 billion.

“Congress amended the False Claims Act 30 years ago to give the government a more effective tool against false and fraudulent claims against federal programs,” said Mizer. “An astonishing 60 percent of those recoveries were obtained in the last eight years. The beneficiaries of these efforts include veterans, the elderly, and low-income families who are insured by federal health care programs; families and students who are able to afford homes and go to college thanks to federally insured loans; and all of us who are protected by the government’s investment in national security and defense. In short, Americans across the country are healthier, enjoy a better quality of life, and are safer because of our continuing success in protecting taxpayer funds from misuse.”

Fraud in the Health Care Industry.

The DOJ recovered $19.3 billion in health care fraud claims from January 2009 to the end of fiscal year 2016. Additionally, 57 percent of the health care fraud dollars recovered in the 30 years since the 1986 amendments to FCA claims. Most of the false claims actions are filed under those whistle blower, or qui tam, provisions. Whistle blowers filed 702 qui tam suits in fiscal year 2016, and the DOJ recovered $2.9 billion in these and earlier filed suits in 2016. The government awarded the whistle blowers a total of $519 million during the same time period.

Click here to read the DOJ’s press release in full.

These DOJ fraud recoveries restore valuable assets to federally funded programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, the health care program for service members and their families.

To read more on the importance of preventing health care fraud, click here to read one of my prior blogs.

If you find yourself at the center on an audit or investigation for health care fraud, don’t wait until it’s too late. Contact an experienced health law attorney. To find out how The Health Law Firm can help you, click here.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with FCA, Qui Tam or Whistle Blower Cases.

Attorneys with The Health Law Firm also represent health care professionals and health facilities in qui tam or whistle blower cases both in defending such claims and in bringing such claims. We have developed relationships with recognized experts in health care accounting, health care financing, utilization review, medical review, filling, coding, and other services that assist us in such matters. We have represented doctors, nurses and others as relators in bringing qui tam or whistle blower cases, as well.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.
Sources:

Richardson, Kalie. “DOJ Announces $4.7 billion in False Claims Act Collections – $2.5 billion in Health Care Alone.” AHLA Weekly. (December 15, 2016). Web.

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. “DOJ Releases its 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics.” The National Law Review. (December 15, 2016). Web.

Keywords: Florida health law defense attorney, qui tam defense lawyer, legal representation for allegations of health care fraud, legal representation for health care fraud investigations, health care fraud defense attorney, whistle blower attorney, AKS lawyer, Anti-Kickback Statute attorney, False Claims Act defense lawyer, FCA attorney, illegal kickbacks, DOJ settlement attorney, government health care fraud investigation defense attorney, health fraud and abuse allegations, health fraud attorney, FCA legal representation, relator attorney, legal representation for U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations, DOJ investigation defense attorney, False Claims Act (FCA) defense attorney, legal representation for FCA suit, legal representation for submitting false claims to the government, Medicare and Medicaid fraud defense lawyer, legal representation for Medicare and Medicaid fraud, The Health Law Firm reviews, Reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, whistle blower defense attorney, Florida qui tam whistle blower attorney, Colorado qui tam whistle blower lawyer, Louisiana qui tam whistle blower attorney, Kentucky qui tam whistle blower lawyer, Virginia qui tam whistle blower attorney, District of Columbia (D.C.) qui tam whistle blower lawyer, Florida False Claims Act (FCA) and civil monetary penalties attorney, Colorado False Claims Act (FCA) and civil monetary penalties lawyer, Louisiana False Claims Act (FCA) and civil monetary penalties attorney, Kentucky False Claims Act (FCA) and civil monetary penalties lawyer, Virginia False Claims Act (FCA) and civil monetary penalties attorney, District of Columbia (D.C.) False Claims Act (FCA) and civil monetary penalties lawyer
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2016 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Pharmacy Law Blog

Tag Archives: The Health Law Firm reviews

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott Makes Changes to Florida Impaired Practitioners Program

Former Pharmaceutical Sales Rep to Serve 70 Months in Prison for Part in $13M Oxycodone Scheme

Wisconsin Supermarket Violated FCA With Illegal Kickbacks, Pharmacist Claims

East Texas Lab Agrees to Pay $3.75 Million to Settle False Claims Suit

DOJ Releases 2016 False Claims Act Recovery Statistics: Third Highest Annual Recovery Ever