Healthcare Fraud Lawyer Torrance CA
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Federal Attorneys Who Know How to Defend Health Care Fraud
The Healthcare Fraud Group understands all too well that healthcare providers are being targeted in a highly charged campaign. The government itself is attacking them – and the institutions they work for – for so-called healthcare fraud, and this accusation can have a hugely negative impact on their career, their practice, and their lives. It can destroy everything. If you suspect that you are one of the healthcare professionals being targeted in this way, contact the Healthcare Fraud Group immediately; our team of professionals, which includes former judges and former state and federal prosecutors, is on your side and ready to fight for you.
There is a major problem in the healthcare industry. It’s not doctors that misdiagnose. It’s not nurses who can’t do their job. It’s not hospitals and clinics that aren’t fit for purpose. It’s the fact that the government is accusing doctors and healthcare businesses of healthcare fraud, and it’s happening more and more. It could be happening right now to someone you know, perhaps a colleague or a friend. It could be happening to you.
At the Healthcare Fraud Group, we are here to investigate potential healthcare fraud and keep you and your career – something you have worked incredibly hard at for potentially decades – safe.
Healthcare providers in the Torrance area can find themselves at the center of investigations that can destroy careers and ruin lives. Did you know, for example, that Torrance has a dedicated federal healthcare fraud task force? This means there are a group of investigators whose sole job it is to search out healthcare professionals who have violated federal statutes. This alone should tell you just how far-reaching this industry now is, and why you need experienced healthcare fraud lawyers on your side if you are caught up in it.
If you think you might be under investigation, contact the Healthcare Fraud Group today. We are experienced in exactly this kind of work, and we can work with you to help you through this difficult time.
We will deal with the aggressive attorneys and the Department of Justice. We’ll protect you wherever possible from the likes of the FBI, the Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Health Care Fraud Unit, Medicare Fraud Strike Force, and many more organizations who would love to take you for all you have. You won’t have to concern yourself with these people and organizations, leave it all to us, and our professional, highly skilled attorneys will work tirelessly on your behalf.
Everyone is out for what they can get, and that means – even if you don’t want to think about it or believe it’s true – there are people who will lie, cheat, and use every trick in the book to get what they want. When that happens, you need to be ready for them. You need to contact us; we are always ready. It’s what we do. When there are those who look for any excuse to suggest healthcare professionals and institutions have violated any number of federal codes and laws it’s more likely than ever that you’ll find yourself caught up in this kind of investigation. When you’re completely innocent, this is the last thing you want to be dealing with; you’ve got lives to make better – you’ve got lives to save.
By contacting our Healthcare Fraud attorneys, you are enlisting the health of experienced criminal defense attorneys who can investigate healthcare fraud and ensure you aren’t punished for something you didn’t do.
What Does Healthcare Fraud Really Mean?
The term healthcare fraud might be a confusing one, and that is part of the problem. Healthcare professionals – even those who have been working within the industry for many years, even those who are now teaching others, or who have won awards for their unparalleled work – are all too often simply not aware of the impact of healthcare fraud, nor the almost overwhelming levels that it has reached in recent years.
It is something that other people worry about; something that they don’t need to think about.
Until it is.
Until the time comes when you are involved in an investigation, and you find that the stress and the cost are unbearable burdens. Many professionals quit just to be done with the process, even when they have done nothing wrong whatsoever.
That’s why you should immediately contact our Healthcare Fraud defense attorneys if you become entangled in a mess like this. You need us to be your voice when it would otherwise be impossible to be heard. Going up against the government authorities isn’t easy, but we have many years of experience, and we know we can speak on your behalf.
So just what is healthcare fraud? Healthcare fraud occurs when someone – a patient – submits false information regarding their treatment from either a healthcare professional individually or an entire hospital or clinic. The reason for them doing this is to obtain a larger payout or other benefits. It’s entirely wrong and completely against the law, yet it is becoming an increasingly large problem.
It’s become such a large problem that task forces are set up to deal with it. Investigations – many taking months, or even years – are carried out. In the meantime, the dedicated healthcare professionals such as yourself who are being investigated are having their lives turned upside down, often for no reason at all.
You don’t need that. You’re too busy saving lives and healing the sick. You’re too busy helping people. That’s why we’re there to help you. We appreciate what you’re doing, and we know that in many cases these investigations aren’t required, yet despite this, they continue, causing pain and chaos in their wake. If we can stop that for you, we will. We’re aggressively proactive, and we will stand up to the government on your behalf.
Federal Healthcare Fraud Charges in Torrance
There is one particular statute that the federal prosecutors in healthcare fraud cases look to. That statute is 18 U.S.C § 1347. Within this single statute, the law actually defines healthcare fraud, and therefore it is extremely useful to both sides of the argument. The law says that healthcare fraud is the knowing attempt or willful execution of a scheme that defrauds any healthcare benefit program in order to obtain the benefits of that program.
It all seems pretty clear cut, and we agree that healthcare fraud is a despicable act, and something that should be stamped out as soon as possible – it’s costing far too much and benefitting far too many when that money should be going to more worthy causes. What we don’t agree with is the hunting down of healthcare professionals to accuse them of this fraud, and then to investigate them in a derogatory, invasive way that affects not just their practice, but their entire lives.
In order for the federal prosecutor to secure a conviction under statute 18 U.S.C § 1347, they need to prove a number of elements, and they need to prove them beyond any reasonable doubt.
The federal prosecutor must:
- Prove that the defendant attempted or executed a defrauding scheme knowingly.
- Prove that the defendant made false statements in order to obtain healthcare benefits.
- Prove that the defendant intended to defraud.
- Prove that the defendant’s actions related to the delivery of healthcare (whether that was services, items, or benefits) and any payment relating to them.
If those charges are proven, the healthcare professional accused could face up to 10 years in prison and have to pay some hefty fines on top.
You can see why it’s vital not to pretend any investigation into potential healthcare fraud surrounding you isn’t happening. We know it’s tempting, but it’s not going to go away, and the more you ignore it, the worse it can get. Call The Healthcare Fraud Group and speak to our professional team of former judgers and former state and federal prosecutors to solve your issues painlessly. We’ve been there before. We can deal with this so you don’t have to worry anymore.
Other Statutes
Although statute 18 U.S.C § 1347 is the one that is called upon most often in healthcare fraud cases since it relates directly to the issue at hand, there are other statutes that federal prosecutors can use to charge healthcare professionals and institutions within Torrance.
- The False Claims Act
The False Claims Act was put in place to keep the federal government safe from suppliers who might overcharge it for goods and services. This extends to reimbursements from Medicare. So you can see just how useful this statute might be when conducting an investigation into healthcare fraud. This statute allows the federal authorities to charge for each individual false claim, racking up the potential penalties significantly. It also – and this is something that we take extremely seriously and can mean the number of accusations rise – rewards those who become whistleblowers. Anonymous sources can make claims that healthcare professionals and businesses are committing fraud and receive compensation for that.
- Anti-Kickback Statute
The anti-kickback statute ensures that no one can receive (or pay for) anything for any referral to Medicare (or other healthcare programs).
- Stark Law
Stark law prevents doctors from referring Medicare patients to any practice or entity in which the doctor (or any immediate family members of the doctor) has any kind of interest, either in ownership or investment.
- Controlled Substances Act
When the controlled substances act is used, it is the Drug Enforcement Agency arm of the federal government that is investigating. It will be looking for any potential criminal violations of drug laws, and that means checking whether healthcare professionals are writing unnecessary prescriptions, or even selling prescriptions.
Clearly, if a healthcare professional is involved in any of the activities that would require any of these laws and statutes to be implemented, they are doing wrong. Those laws are there to protect the government and individuals against healthcare fraud and other issues. The problem is when doctors, nurses, even healthcare entities are accused of carrying out these acts when it simply isn’t true. The investigation can take many months, or even longer, and it has a seriously detrimental effect on the healthcare professional’s ability to work and make an income.
Our seasoned healthcare defense attorneys solve these issues quickly and efficiently for you.
Health Care Fraud Charges
Something that is important to understand is that healthcare fraud can be prosecuted at both federal and state-level simultaneously. It can make a bad situation worse and is exactly why you should let the Healthcare Fraud Group take on your case.
How is this possible?
It’s because some healthcare programs, including Medicaid, are linked to both federal and state laws. That means you can be charged twice. Being charged once is painful enough, but twice is life-changing in the extreme.
Types of Healthcare Fraud
You might think you know what healthcare fraud is, especially if you are caught up in one of the investigations. However, there are actually a number of different types of healthcare fraud, so it’s important to know the differences so that you can get accurate representation and make sure your case is heard. Here are some examples of what healthcare fraud might look like, and what healthcare professionals such as yourself are being accused of:
- Billing for a non-patient
- Billing for services that were not administered
- Billing for services that were unnecessary
- Billing for additional hours that were not worked
- Billing more than once
- Illegal sharing of fees
- Falsifying credentials
- Falsifying reports
- Accepting money/kickbacks
- Prescribing medication illegally
- Ordering medication without the approval of a doctor (mainly aimed at nurses)
- Selling/using fake prescriptions
- Forging prescriptions
- Selling medication
- Stealing medication
Have you been suspected or, perhaps even charged with, any of the above types of healthcare fraud? If so, it is vital that you get in touch with the Healthcare Fraud Group for expert advice. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can get to work on your case – don’t leave it hanging over you. Let us work with you to decide the next step.
Why The Healthcare Fraud Attorney Group?
There are lots of attorneys and companies claiming to be able to do what we do, but do you really want to risk your reputation, your career, and your happiness with a firm that may or may not be able to help you? That’s a risk too far. Come to the Healthcare Fraud Group and you’ll see the difference.
With our many years of excellent service, our experienced professional team made up of people who have been through this before and who understand all the possible permutations that healthcare fraud can take and the impact it has on those affected by accusations and investigations, you can rest assured that your case is in the best hands. We’re aggressive enough to stand up to the federal government, and we don’t back down when we know we’re in the right.
The huge penalties, perhaps even imprisonment, relating to being found guilty of a charge of healthcare fraud are just too serious to be left to unprepared and inexperienced attorneys. Don’t do it. Hire us and know that you’ve made the right choice.
If you need to know more, here are some of the best reasons for choosing The Healthcare Fraud Group:
- The experience we have as a group is second to none. We have dealt with many thousands of cases of healthcare fraud, and we are experts in the minutiae that goes with it. With former federal and state prosecutors and judges on our team, we have a special insight into both sides of the argument, and we can win.
- Our impeccable track record speaks for itself. We have won thousands of healthcare fraud cases, securing positive outcomes, and putting lives back on track. In some cases the fraud challenge was dropped altogether thanks to our robust and calculated defense. Preventing the federal government from filing charges isn’t an easy thing to do, but we work hard at making it happen, saving you time, money, loss of reputation, and stress.
- Once we are dealing with your case, we are completely dedicated to it. After all, the federal task force investigating you won’t let go, so neither will we. We give as good as we get, and come up with new strategies no matter what direction the case may take.
- We don’t have a one size fits all defense strategy. We understand that each investigation, each case, each individual involved is unique, and needs to be treated as such. That’s why we’re so successful. We don’t assume anything; we take the time to ask the right questions and come up with a bespoke defense strategy that really works. No matter what type of fraud you are being charged with, or what the story behind it might be, we can build a strong defense that will stand up to any and all scrutiny.
Contact Trusted Healthcare Fraud Lawyers Today To Resolve Your Case
If you’re in trouble and fighting a healthcare fraud charge in Torrance, there’s no need to do it alone. Contact Bell P.C. Healthcare Fraud Group today and let us help you. We will discuss the charges, work on your case, mount a defense, and dispense expert advice. We will fight for you, taking on the federal government and its task forces, making sure your life is as unaffected as possible so you can get back to doing what you do best – healing the sick.
