Federal Health Care Fraud – 18 U.S.C. § 1347
When it comes to the federal government and the millions of dollars in benefits that they give across the country, they are very protective if they are able to determine that someone is doing something fraudulent related to those healthcare funds.
I have defended many healthcare clients who have been charged with healthcare fraud pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1347 at the federal level. I can tell you right now that the government is cracking down more and more. The reason they are cracking down so harshly on healthcare fraud at the federal level is because of the millions of dollars that are at stake.
The government, over the years, has paid so much money in healthcare, both legitimately and fraudulently, that it's a huge source of lost income for them. In Los Angeles county for example, I recently was at one of their headquarters meeting with some FBI agents related to a healthcare fraud case.
They actually have taken over a whole section of a building in order to be prepared to prosecute federal healthcare fraud cases. They have the resources to be able to challenge anybody – to surveil them, to investigate them and to prosecute them if necessary.
Our attorneys have handled thousands of cases involving fraud. Health care fraud is one of the many and we have the confidence and experience to help you if you are facing health care fraud charges. Healthcare Fraud is a crime and can be committed by either the provider or the consumer.
To be charged with the crime of healthcare fraud, the prosecutor must prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that you (as a provider or consumer) intentionally submitted or caused a third party to submit false or misleading information that would be relied on in determining the amount of health care benefits payable.
Some ways you, as a provider, may be charged with health care fraud are: billing for services not actually performed; giving a patient a fake diagnosis to justify tests, surgeries, and procedures that are in actuality not necessary; misrepresenting surgeries performed; billing the patient more than the co-pay amount for services already paid for under the benefit plan.
Some ways you, as a consumer, may be charged with health care fraud are: filing claims for services and medications not received; using someone else's insurance; forging/altering bills or receipts.
Due to the increase amount of health care fraud in the United States, Congress has made it a federal criminal offense and if you are found guilty of health care fraud, you may face up to ten years in prison and excessive financial penalties.
Defenses to Healthcare Fraud Cases at the Federal Level
Probably the best defense obviously is that you're not the person that took funds illegally, because when someone is receiving a benefit from the federal government and that benefit is received unlawfully, then the federal government will come with the full weight of their investigative power and the prosecutorial power.
Over the course of the past twenty-five years, I've defended healthcare fraud related cases and know what it takes to win a case and know what it takes to negotiate the best possible resolution for a client.
When it comes to defense in a healthcare fraud case, really the defense is going to be contingent upon the facts of the case, what evidence the government has against you and what you can bring to bear defense-wise.
Sometimes your version of events in a healthcare fraud case has not been gotten across to the prosecutors and they don't realize your side of the story. Once a good defense attorney comes in and is able to explain things in the right way, sometimes the tables can turn and you're able to create a defense that will give you success in a healthcare fraud case. Other times, it's clear from the evidence that's available to the government that you're not going to win your healthcare fraud case and you need to negotiate.
What I do is I have you come in, give me all the information and obviously I need you to be honest. When it comes to meeting with clients, I sit down with them face to face, I go over all the details of the case and then we get a strategy together that makes sense under your circumstances.
Once you have an idea of what you can do to assist in your own defense in a federal healthcare fraud case is start to be able to take control back of your life, gain a peace of mind and then you can really get down to the nitty-gritty and we can figure out exactly what it's going to take in order to get you the best result on your case.
Call Our Federal Criminal Lawyers for Help
Once we're moving in the right direction, then there's a number of different options that are available to you in a federal healthcare fraud case that's filed pursuant to Section 1347. Those options obviously need to be discussed with your attorney and you need to come up with a good game plan in order to get the best possible result, protect your freedom, your reputation, you rights and your life as you know it.
Our federal defense lawyers have health care fraud knowledge and we have the experience to effectively defend you if you are facing health care fraud charges. It is very essential that you hire the right defense attorney to get you the best results possible.
At Hedding Law Firm, we have successfully handled thousands of federal and state cases over many years of successful criminal defense practice in Los Angeles. We have have the federal background to defend your case with a skill set that is unparalleled.
See for yourself. If you are facing mortgage fraud charges, or any other state or federal crime, contact us at (213) 542-0994 to discuss your case.
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