Medicaid Recipient Fraud
Medicaid is a government-operated program that started in 1965 as an addendum to the Social Security Act. The purpose of Medicaid was to provide a way for low-income families and pregnant women to receive the medical care that they desperately need. Nowadays, millions of people receive Medicaid benefits. They receive evaluations, testing, medications and other medical services for only a fraction of their original cost. People who meet certain poverty levels receive most of their medical services for nothing. The government is currently trying to clean of its budget by weeding out people who receive Medicaid benefits fraudulently.
What Is Medicaid Recipient Fraud?
A general description of Medicaid recipient fraud is when a person omits information or uses inaccurate information to meet the criteria for Medicaid benefits. A person can commit Medicaid fraud using several tactics, and the person can be guilty or ignorant. One example of Medicaid recipient fraud is when a person fails to report all or any of his or her income. The omission or denial qualifies the person for Medicaid benefits because it appears that the person cannot afford medical expenses.
Another way that a person may defraud the government is by using a fake address or an incorrect address. The Medicaid office. For example, an applicant may claim to live in one state while that person is truly living in another state. The person may do that because the second state has a set of criteria that matches his or her lifestyle. Such would be considered Medicaid fraud. Some people collect various benefits in different states, which is considered fraud.
Loaning a Medicaid ID Is Fraud
Many people do not realize it, but lending a Medicaid ID card to another person is fraud no matter what the situation is. Medicaid services are for the person whose name is on the card only. Therefore, a recipient may be in trouble if the office finds out that the wrong person received care or services that should have been reserved for the recipient.
Tampering With a Prescription is Medicaid Fraud
Tampering with a medical prescription is one of the most serious crimes against the issuing organization. Tampering with a prescription is a situation in which a person changes the quantity, instructions or some other aspects of a medical prescription. The crime may qualify as forgery as well as Medicaid fraud, and the offender may have to suffer some harsh consequences. Selling items that one receives from Medicaid is a crime, as well.
Consequences for Medicaid Fraud
A person may receive many forms of punishment if an investigation proves that he or she is guilty of Medicaid recipient fraud. One form of punishment a guilty party may receive is denial of future benefits for a certain amount of time. The sanction could be for several years, or it could be a permanent sentence. A violator may spend time in a jail cell and have to pay fines, as well. Each count of fraud will have its own list of possible penalties and dealings.
Responding to an Accusation
An accused party will need to act quickly to avoid being charged with Medicaid recipient fraud. The organization will want to conduct an investigation as quickly as possible. The accused person will want to cooperate with the investigation because unwillingness to cooperate is the same as being guilty in a judge’s eyes. A concerned party will want to hire a lawyer who can develop a reliable defense for the case. A fraud charge is way too serious for a person to skip out on retaining legal services. Fighting the charge will be in the person’s best interest.
An experienced law firm can come up with a number of strategies that will protect the consumer from severe punishment. The accusing organization has to be 100 percent sure that the other party intentionally falsified, omitted or misrepresented information. A lawyer cannot do that if the person is not willing to speak to a professional about it. Many people find themselves self-absorbed when they are going through something that requires the assistance of friends. An attorney acts as a client’s best friend in a Medicaid recipient fraud case. The attorney will do everything possible to protect that person even if it means negotiating rather than staying silent about something that is inappropriate.
An interested party can schedule a consultation with an attorney today. Attorneys are available 24 hours a day and seven days a week because they understand that legal issues do not always arise during convenient times. A reliable attorney may offer free consultation to anyone who needs help. The consultation will give the prospective client an opportunity to get to know the attorney and some information about the process. Accused persons must make an effort to speak with people who can help.