Health Care Fraud: Serious Allegations Requiring a Serious Defense
The U.S. health care system is a complex, multi-faceted machine, with a wide array of laws governing its operation. Whether you’re a health care provider, a medical facility, or a patient, committing an act that intentionally manipulates this system for financial gain is a serious crime.
If you’re facing accusations of health care fraud, the ramifications can be severe, and you need to arm yourself with the best tools to defend yourself against these allegations. The Criminal Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm has the experience and record of success to defend you throughout the investigation and resolution process and ensure the best possible outcome. Call us at 888-535-3686 or complete our confidential contact form to get started.
What is Health Care Fraud?
If you “intentionally deceive the health care system to receive illegal benefits or payments,” you may be committing health care fraud, according to the FBI. Medical providers and patients are the most common culprits of health care fraud. For medical providers, fraudulent behavior generally relates to billing claims, such as double billing, billing for services you haven’t provided, or billing for a higher-cost service that you gave a patient. For patients, health care fraud usually involves illegitimate insurance claims, such as using someone else’s insurance, allowing another person to use yours, or impersonating a health care provider. Another type of health care fraud is prescription fraud, such as forging a prescription, selling your prescription medication, or getting multiple prescriptions from various providers for the same ailment.
It may be easy to think that health care fraud doesn’t hurt anyone but “the system,” but health care fraud isn’t a victimless crime. It causes individuals, doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies to lose tens of billions of dollars every year. And you can be sure everyone pays for these losses—in the form of higher insurance premiums and higher taxes, as well as the possibility of facing unnecessary medical procedures.
What Happens When You Face Health Care Fraud Accusations?
The FBI is responsible for investigating most health care fraud allegations on behalf of both federal and private insurance programs. The FBI works with federal, state, and local agencies and insurance groups to gather information and press charges.
Interestingly, most people convicted of health care fraud don’t have a prior record. Perhaps equally surprising, more than 70 percent of these convictions lead to some amount of jail time, even for those facing their first offense. Because health care fraud generally involves intentional deception, courts take these crimes very seriously. Minor offenses often result in 30 months of jail time, while more serious infractions can result in 10 or 20 years, or even a life sentence if a victim has died. You’re also likely to incur some steep fines, as much as $250,000 for a single offense as an individual or $500,000 for a single offense as a health care facility or organization.
The LLF Law Firm is Your Best Defense
Considering the severity of health care fraud allegations and the possible consequences of a conviction, you need a legal team with years of experience defending individuals and facilities against these kinds of charges. Whether you’re a health care provider or a patient, the Criminal Defense Team at the LLF Law Firm will help you reach the best possible outcome. We’ll help you understand the charges, evaluate the evidence against you, and identify the best defense strategy to support your case. If you choose to resolve your case out of court, we’ll negotiate for minimal sentencing and financial retribution.
If you’re facing health care fraud charges, the LLF Law Firm’s Criminal Defense Team has your back. Call us at 888-535-3686 or complete our online contact form to schedule a consultation.