If you are facing charges related to medical billing fraud, insurance fraud, or any other type of fraud, we recommend that you contact an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Just the implication of these charges can have long-term consequences. Call Chambers Law Firm now at 714-760-4088 for a free legal consultation.
What is health care fraud?
Physicians, medical facility employees, or patients commit health care fraud when they submit, or induce someone else to submit, inaccurate or fraudulent claims to government authorities or insurance companies.
False claims can be submitted to a commercial medical insurance company or a government-run medical insurance program like Medicare or Medicaid. “Billing fraud,” “health insurance fraud,” “HMO fraud,” and “Medicare fraud” are all terms used to describe health care fraud.
Common examples of this type of fraud
Some examples of this type of fraud include:
- a doctor who bills for treatments that aren’t needed.
- a physician who engages in “upcoding,” or billing for more expensive medical services than those provided to a patient
- a patient who files repeated insurance claims for the same service
Of course, these are only a few examples. If you have been accused of doing something like this, call us right now.
There are defense options for these charges
In the United States, those accused of billing fraud can mount a legal defense. Defendants who demonstrate the following are common defenses: They were unaware that they were providing inaccurate or fraudulent information, they did not act with the purpose to defraud, and/or law enforcement acted in violation of one of their constitutional rights.
Penalties for conviction of insurance or medical billing fraud
Depending on the total amount of the false claim that is made, health insurance fraud is either a misdemeanor or a felony. The offense carries hefty fines as well as a sentence of five to ten years in imprisonment or prison. The best way to reduce the potential consequences is to work with the best attorney available to you.
Contact us today to request a free legal consultation
These are not charges you want to face on your own. These are not charges that are going to go away if you ignore them. Your best bet is to contact an attorney as soon as possible. In fact, if charges have not yet been filed, we can work to have evidence thrown out and hopefully prevent charges from ever being filed. Every case is different but the first step is always the same: contact Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088.
