Long Beach Medicare / Medi-Cal Fraud Defense Attorney

Getting charged with healthcare fraud, like Medicare / Medi-Cal defense, can have a devastating impact on your life. You may not only have to serve time behind bars, but if you’re a healthcare professional, you could also lose your license and not be able to work in your field anymore. Considering how hard you’ve worked to get to this point, this could cause a huge disruption in your professional and personal life. That’s why it’s critical to fight back against these charges with the assistance of an experienced Los Angeles healthcare fraud defense lawyer. If you need representation for Medicare / Medi-Cal fraud defense in California, Robin D. Perry can help.

Medicare / Medi-Cal Fraud Defense in Southern California

For over two decades, our lawyers have been representing Medicare / Medical fraud defense clients in Los Angeles and Long Beach. You can give us a call at 562-216-2944 to schedule your consultation today and find out how we can fight for you during your time of need. In the meantime, learn more about the consequences of Medicare / Medi-Cal fraud.

The Ins and Outs of Medicare / Medi-Cal Fraud

There are many different ways in which Medicare / Medi-Cal fraud, as well as other types of healthcare fraud, can occur. A healthcare professional could lie about the type or level of service they provide, bill for services or items that were never rendered, bill for services and items that were not medically necessary for a patient, bill at an incorrect rate, misuse codes on claims and charge excessively for supplies and services. It’s also against the law to commit healthcare fraud for some type of bribe or kickback.

Here are some examples of healthcare fraud. A doctor would be guilty of healthcare fraud if they performed unnecessary surgeries on patients in order to bill them at a higher rate. In addition, a dentist would be guilty if they reported an incorrect rate to Medi-Cal or Medicare in order to make more money off of their services.

Along with primary care doctors and dentists, nurses, cardiologists, urologists, hospice care representatives, psychiatrists, psychologists, Medicare clinic owners, and operators of dialysis centers could be subject to healthcare fraud charges. Essentially, any type of healthcare professional could be subject to these charges.

Consequences for Medicare / Medi-Cal Fraud

If you are convicted of healthcare fraud in California and the case involves less than $950, you could face misdemeanor penalties, including up to six months in county jail, up to a $1,000 fine, or both. Healthcare fraud with a monetary value exceeding $950 can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. If you are convicted of a felony, you may be sent to county jail for two, three, or five years, get probation and go to jail for up to a year, and pay up to $50,000 in fines or double the amount of the money involved in the fraud.

Keep in mind that you could also lose your professional license if you are caught doing healthcare fraud. You may not be able to get it reinstated, either. 

Proving Medicare / Medi-Cal Fraud

A prosecutor has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are guilty of Medicare / Medi-Cal fraud. If they can’t, they don’t have a case.

They need to show that you willfully and knowingly defrauded or attempted to defraud a healthcare program like Medicare or Medi-Cal or get property or money from a healthcare program through false or fraudulent promises, representations, or pretenses. The intent is key.

When defending yourself against these charges, you can claim that you made a mistake and never intended to commit fraud. Additionally, your defense could be that there isn’t enough evidence to prove there was intent to defraud.

Whatever evidence you have to defend yourself, you should send it to your lawyer. They will let you know the best steps moving forward and whether you should try to get a plea bargain or go to trial. Perhaps they’ll try to get your case dismissed altogether.

You never know what the best course of action is until you get in contact with the right lawyer. Make sure you find one who has experience with the criminal charges and with helping you retain your professional license. Robin D. Perry is a California Medicare & Medi-Cal defense lawyer who can assist you with both.

Get in Touch Now

If you’re dealing with Medicare / Medi-Cal fraud charges, then reach out to the Law Offices of Robin D. Perry & Associates. You can call us at 562-216-2944 or contact us on our website. We look forward to helping you.