South Florida Criminal Attorneys Blog
The U.S. government inspects Medicare expenses charged by physicians. The state government also carefully examines doctors’ charges and the patient’s health assessments as well. Since the government is paying the bills, it has the right to examine and dispute anything they want. The probe from federal and state law enforcement officers can bring to light errors that may lead to prosecution for Medicare fraud.
Being convicted of Medicare fraud can result in long-term imprisonment and hefty fines.
The Code of Federal Regulations describes Medicare fraud as “an intentional deception or misrepresentation made by a person with the knowledge that the deception could result in some unauthorized benefit to himself or some other person.”
Fraud usually involves false claims to that seek to obtain a payment the provider is not entitled to, offering or receiving kickbacks for Medicare items or services, or making prohibited referrals.
If an inspector, investigator or FBI agent make contact with you to speak about your business or practices, you should know that you have the right to speak to an attorney before speaking to them. You should relay that message to them and consult with an attorney before telling them anything regarding your business practices.
Things that may be seen as defrauding the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration include:
• ‘phantom’ billing;
• up-coding;
• overbilling;
• billing for services or tests that were not necessary.
The statute contains quite a number of activities that may each, or combined, be construed as fraud by health professionals or medical providers.
A conviction for fraud, or even having to defend yourself against accusations of fraud, can ruin someone’s professional reputation and can lead to the closure of a business.
Don’t risk your reputation, freedom, livelihood and future.
Why Hiring the Right Attorney is Key
At Michael B Cohen Law, our priority is making sure that you receive the best legal representation for your federal crime cases. You can schedule a free consultation with us today and learn about your options and ways in which we can help you and your future.