NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FEDERAL LAWYERS
NYC Medicare Fraud Lawyers
|Last Updated on: 3rd August 2023, 09:08 pm
There are certain requirements that people must meet in order to receive Medicare as well as other benefits offered by the government. Since the recipient has to complete an application and divulge personal information, there is a possibility to commit fraud. The government has tightened its grip on Medicare fraud and looks at all information that is received about fraud taking place. Many of the mistakes that are made regarding Medicare payments are done by mistake. There is no one person who is at fault as it could be human error by leaving out a number or a small piece of information or a computer error that is eventually caught and corrected. However, when someone intentionally gives false information or a doctor gives false information in order to help someone receive Medicare, then the act is considered fraud. There are millions, if not billions, of Medicare dollars used fraudulently each year by people who commit these acts.
If you have been charged with Medicare fraud, you should contact an attorney who specializes in this field of law because of the punishments that are associated and because you might not be eligible to receive this important benefit if you are convicted. An attorney can look at the evidence against you and sometimes challenge the evidence if there is a possibility that the activity was done in error instead of intentional.
Most of the time, fraud with Medicare involves a person trying to obtain some kind of reimbursement or benefit after giving false information. It can also involve a company or a doctor giving false information to try to collect money that should not be given. Sometimes, a doctor or a person can violate the laws pertaining to Medicare without any kind of intent. However, if information about procedures and treatments is falsified and the person who signs the documents knows this, then the person can be charged with fraud. Some of the examples of Medicare fraud include submitting multiple copies of bills for the same treatment and receiving payment for each bill or billing for services that were not performed. Another way to commit fraud would be to submit information about costs that is not correct, such as increasing the costs associated with a treatment that was provided in order to get more money.
The prosecutor will need to show that an intentional act was committed. This can sometimes be hard to do if there are numerous reports to sift through or if there is no history of fraud in the past. You will need to know that false information was given on the Medicare claim in order to be charged. If the act was committed without your knowledge but the doctor or company was the one who benefited, then you can use the information in court to try to defeat the charges against you with the assistance of an attorney. Since Medicare is a government program, you could face federal charges instead of just a misdemeanor or felony, which would mean more time in prison and higher fines.