George F. Indest III is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, based in Orlando. Mr. Indest is board certified by the Florida Bar in the legal specialty of Health Law. He is also board certified as a health care risk manager by the American Board of Risk Management, Inc. His practice encompasses all aspects of business, corporate, transactional, regulatory and administrative health law practice, and he represents physicians, nurses, hospitals, home health agencies, long term care facilities and other health care providers. His practice also includes the litigation of professional licensing cases and business litigation, defense of health care providers, negotiation of sales of health care practices, Medicare Fraud defense and other areas of Health Care Law. He holds an AV® Preeminent rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review, which is the highest level attainable by an attorney, according to Martindale-Hubbell, his rating is 5 out of 5. Mr. Indest served as in-house counsel at one of the Navy's largest teaching hospitals and was also in charge of the legal and medical risk management programs in the Navy's largest regional health care system which consisted of twenty-seven major hospitals and treatment facilities. He has served on the Executive Council of the Health Law Section of the Florida Bar and has served as Chair of the Medical/Legal Committee of the Orange County Bar Association. Mr. Indest received his BA and JD degree, cum laude, from Tulane University and also was awarded an LL.M. degree, with highest honors, from the National Law Center, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., where his course emphasis was in health care law (legal medicine).He is a member of the state bars of Florida, Louisiana and the District of Columbia. Mr. Indest has also served on the Board of Directors of a nonprofit charity nursing home and a number of other charitable organizations.
- Tulane University
- B.A. | Political and Computer Science
-
- Tulane University School of Law
- J.D.
- Honors: Cum Laude
-
- The George Washington University Law School
- LL.M. (1986) | Health Care Law and International Law
- Honors: With Highest Honors
-
- University of West Florida
- M.P.A. (1982) | Public Finance
-
- President & Managing Partne
- The Health Law Firm
- - Current
- Firm represents primarily healthcare professionals in business, contractual, administrative, licensing and litigation matters. Clients include physicians, nurses, dentists, medical groups, nursing homes, hospital chains, and other health care professionals and facilities. Offices in Altamonte Springs, Orlando and Pensacola.
- Shareholder, Partner, Head of Business and Health Law Department
- Unger, Swartwood, Indest & Acree, P.A.
- -
- Business, corporate, transactional, regulatory and administrative practice for physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health care agencies, managed care organizations and insurers. Professional liability and business defense litigation. Supervised work of two other attorneys and two paralegals in this medium sized Central Florida firm with offices in Orlando and Jacksonville.
- Health Care Attorney
- Baker Hostetler
- -
- Member of Business Department, Firmwide Health Care Industry Group, and Mergers and Acquisitions Team in large, national firm. All aspects of business, corporate, transactional, regulatory and administrative law practice for physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health care agencies, managed care organizations and insurers. Formation of all types of business entities and not-for-profit corporations, professional associations and IPAs; drafted health-related business contracts of all types. Litigation involving defense of medical personnel, professional licenses, nursing home liability and administrative hearings.
- Litigation and Health Care Attorney
- Taraska, Grower, & Ketcham, P.A.
- -
- Associate in medium size Central Florida defense firm representing large number of hospitals, medical malpractice carriers, physicians, IPAs and medical associations among its major clients. Practice concentrated in medical malpractice defense, personal injury and insurance defense litigation; health care law; appellate practice. Advised clients on self-referral prohibitions, fraud and abuse laws, federal antitrust policies, and other regulatory initiatives. Represented institutional providers with respect to medical staff issues, emergency room patient transfers (COBRA), physician contracting, medical staff bylaws, Medicare/Medicaid issues, risk management and general operational matters.
- Medico-Legal Advisor/Assistant Staff Judge Advocate, Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET)
- United States Navy
- -
- Primary assistant in supervising and monitoring CNET's legal program and overseeing all CNET attorneys. CNET's annual budget exceeded $1.2 billion and had 40,500 permanent staff. CNET provided all formal education and training for the U.S. Navy. Assisted in formulating policy, drafting and analyzing proposed legislation and regulations on following subjects: health care, legal assistance (consumer protection), management of legal assets, education, charitable organizations, military justice and other matters. Reviewed, researched and prepared recommendations on all medical malpractice claims investigations; claims averaged in excess of $120 million per year. Provided advice and assistance on all health care law issues relating to eleven major medical and dental commands.
- Staff Judge Advocate (Counsel
- United States Navy: Naval Medical Command, Mid-Atlantic Region Headquarters, Norfolk, Virginia
- -
- Counsel for regional health care system that included Virginia; North Carolina; South Carolina; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Puerto Rico; Bermuda; and Iceland; included eight hospitals, five major dental facilities and numerous widely dispersed branch medical and dental clinics, including legal offices staffed by attorneys at three of the major hospitals.
- Staff Judge Advocate (In House Counsel)
- United States Navy: Naval Hospital Portsmouth, Virginia
- -
- one of the U.S. Navy's largest teaching hospitals. Only attorney for teaching hospital of approximately 750 bed capacity (approx. 440 active beds), 400 doctors, 17 buildings and several thousand nursing and support staff personnel.
- Staff Judge Advocate
- United States Navy: USS MIDWAY (CV-4l)
- -
- Legal adviser for commanding officer and crew of approximately 4,500 men. Prepared all criminal cases for prosecution at courts-martial including direction of government investigators. Advised on various international law and admiralty issues including interpretation of status of forces agreements, laws of armed conflict (including Geneva Conventions) and treaty interpretation. Advised and acted in numerous administrative law matters including claims for and against the government.
- Military Attorney/ Magistrate
- Naval Legal Service Office
- -
- One of sixteen attorneys in office providing legal services to military organizations. Positions held: Senior Trial Counsel, Senior Defense Counsel, Head of Administrative Law Department, Head of Legal Assistance Department, and Head Military Magistrate.
- Orlando Medical News Incharge Healthcare 2014
- Orlando Medical News
- Legal Strategies For Doctors To Fight Bad Online Reviews
- Florida Medical Business
- Physicians Entangled in Tainted Drugs Lawsuits
- American Medical News
- 19 Tips to Prepare You For a Medicare Audit Site Visit
- Medical Economics
- The Florida Nursing Law Manual
- The Health Law Foundation
- RACs, ZPICs and MACs--Navigating Your Way Through The Medicare Audit Alphabet, 64th Annual Meeting of the Florida Urological Society
- Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
- The Florida Bar
- Orlando's Best Health Care Attorney
- Florida Medical Business
- Super Lawyer of Florida 2006-2010, 2014-2018
- Super Lawyers
- George F. Indest III was recognized by Super Lawyers from 2006 to 2010, and 2014 to 2018. According to Super Lawyers: "Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement."
- Top Honors 2012-2016
- American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA)
- AV® Preeminent rating, Peer Review 5/5 for Ethical Standards and Legal Ability
- Martindale-Hubbell
- Top Attorney in Health Care
- Avvo
- The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA)
- Member
- Current
-
- American Health Lawyers Association
- Member
- Current
-
- Escambia-Santa Rosa County Bar Association
- Member
- Current
-
- Florida Society of Healthcare Risk Managers (FSHRM), subdivision of FHA
- Current
-
- Association of Military Surgeons of the United States (AMSUS)
- Current
-
- American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers Association)
- Current
-
- Webster University Graduate Schoo
- Adjunct Professor
- - Current
-
- Barry University of Orlando School of Law
- Adjunct Professor
- - Current
-
- The Bar Association of the District of Columbia
- Member
- - Current
-
- The Florida Bar
- Executive Council of Health Law Section (HLS); Business Law Sect.
- - Current
-
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- Member
- - Current
-
- Guardian Care Convalescent Center
- Board of Directors
- -
-
- Seminole County Bar Association
- Board of Directors
- -
-
- Barry University Law School
- Board of Advisers
- -
-
- National Kidney Foundation of Florida, Inc.
- Board of Trustees
- -
-
- Orange County Bar Association
- Chair of Medical-Legal Committee
- -
-
- District of Columbia
- District of Columbia Bar
-
- Florida
-
- Louisiana
-
- U.S. Supreme Court
-
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Health Care Law
- Business Law
- Business Contracts, Business Dissolution, Business Finance, Business Formation, Business Litigation, Franchising, Mergers & Acquisitions, Partnership & Shareholder Disputes
- Employment Law
- Employee Benefits, Employment Contracts, Employment Discrimination, ERISA, Overtime & Unpaid Wages, Sexual Harassment, Whistleblower, Wrongful Termination
- Arbitration & Mediation
- Business - Arbitration/Mediation, Consumer - Arbitration/Mediation, Family - Arbitration/Mediation
- Gov & Administrative Law
- Administrative Law, Election Law, Government Contracts, Government Finance, Legislative & Government Affairs
- Education Law
- English: Spoken, Written
Representation of Health Professionals in License Complaint Investigations
Representation of Health Professionals in License Complaint Investigations
The Health Law Firm: Medicaid Audit Defense
The Health Law Firm: Medicaid Audit Defense
Should I voluntarily relinquish my professional license because I am being investigated?
As a general rule, you should never voluntarily relinquish your professional license after you have some notice of an investigation, even if you have licenses in other states.
I received in the mail a letter from the Florida Department of Health with a "Nondisciplinary...
Ordinarily, the Florida Department of Health will offer a nondisciplinary citation in lieu of any major punishment for minor offenses such as not having the right number of continuing education units, or for something else as minor and for which major discipline is not required.