Jack’s Perspective
Florida’s large concentration of federal health care beneficiaries and funding has made the state a health care fraud enforcement hotspot, heightening the need for providers to understand complex regulatory and enforcement frameworks. Jack underscores that Epstein Becker Green’s deep regulatory and enforcement bench uniquely positions the firm to guide providers across Florida’s evolving landscape, including heightened Medicare Advantage scrutiny.
Source
Following is an excerpt from Law.com, “Epstein Becker Green Adds Ex-Federal Prosecutor in Tampa to Bolster Health Care Fraud Capabilities,” by Vivienne Serret:
Am Law 200 firm Epstein Becker Green has bolstered its health care and life sciences practice with the hire of a former federal prosecutor in its Tampa office.
Jack E. Fernandez, who was a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and founding member of the U.S. Attorney’s Health Care Fraud Task Force for the Middle District of Florida, joined the firm in September and has over two decades of experience defending individuals and organizations in pivotal white collar criminal matters and civil litigation, according to a news release.
The firm opened in Tampa in 2023, highlighting the region’s status as a burgeoning health care innovation hub. In an email, Fernandez drew a connection between high levels of federal spending on health care and growing levels of fraud.
“Given its demographics, Florida has one of the largest concentrations of federal health care beneficiaries in the country. Billions of federal dollars flow into the state annually because of which, over the decades, state and federal law enforcement agencies have identified areas in Florida—especially Miami, Tampa, and Orlando—as health care fraud hotspots. Against a regulatory and enforcement backdrop like this, it is absolutely critical that providers clearly understand the regulatory and enforcement framework, which can be difficult given the sometimes-counterintuitive complexity of those regulations,” he said.
