Miami Healthcare Fraud Lawyer

Miami Healthcare Fraud Attorney

If you are a Miami-based or South Florida-based doctor or a licensed medical professional under investigation for healthcare fraud, you need to act immediately. Considering that billions of dollars are poured every year on government healthcare programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare, state and federal officials relentlessly pursue and investigate healthcare crimes.

How you respond to a target letter or subpoena could affect you and your family for years to come.

The minute you are accused of being involved in a healthcare fraud scheme in Miami or the greater South Florida area, you should speak to our competent Miami healthcare fraud defense attorneys.

At the Kirlew Law Firm, we strategically defend clients in complex and sensitive white-collar crime matters, including healthcare fraud. We are proud to offer you a free phone consultation to help you plan a proactive defense strategy that will protect your rights in court.

What is Healthcare Fraud?

Healthcare fraud occurs when a licensed medical professional (or even a medical institution or group) knowingly submits false claims to a private or government health insurance program to receive financial benefits they are otherwise not entitled. Whether the healthcare benefit plan is provided by Medicare, Medicaid, or a private employer, healthcare fraud is prosecuted using the same general principles.

Like most white-collar crimes, healthcare fraud cases involve deception, fraudulent documents, using the internet or fax to submit invoices, and collusion with various individuals. These types of crime do not rely on the threat of physical force or violence.

Some examples of acts that can trigger a healthcare fraud investigation in Miami include but are not limited to:

• Prescribing unnecessary medications or performing unnecessary procedures to bill an insurance company.
• Billing for services that were never rendered.
• Unbundling or billing every step of one test or treatment as if they were individual procedures.
• Submitting inflated claims.
• Submitting claims for a patient who does not exist.
• Soliciting illegal “kickbacks” or referral fees.

How is Healthcare Fraud Prosecuted?

Healthcare fraud is predominantly prosecuted by the federal government and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Healthcare Fraud Strike Force, which is based in Washington D.C.

The following are just a few of the federal statutes that are used to prosecute healthcare fraud:

• The False Claims Act (FCA), 31 USC §§ 3729 – 3733
• Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), 42 USC § 1320a–7b
• Physician Self-Referral (Stark) Law, 42 USC § 1395nn
• Criminal Health Care Fraud, 18 USC § 1347

Healthcare Fraud Penalties and Consequences

Defrauding federal healthcare programs is illegal. The consequences of a healthcare fraud conviction are severe and life-altering. A conviction can expose you to potential criminal, civil, and administrative liability.

The potential penalties and consequences of a healthcare fraud conviction are:

• Exclusion from participating in any Federal healthcare program.
• Loss of professional licenses.
• Up to 30 years in federal prison.
• Fines of up to $250,000 per offense.
• Fines of up to three times the number of false claims submitted.
• Forfeiture of all assets related to the charged offense.

Substitute forfeiture of assets unrelated to the charged offense.

You Need to Act Quickly to Defend Your Rights. Contact Our Brian Kirlew and the Kirlew Law Firm NOW!

As soon as you receive a subpoena or a federal agent asks to speak to you about a healthcare fraud criminal investigation, it would help if you were concerned. Bear in mind that when federal agents reach out to someone, the research itself has been ongoing for a long time, and they likely already have their prosecution strategy drawn out. It is critical to contact our Miami white-collar criminal defense attorney when you suspect you are the target of a healthcare fraud criminal investigation.

If you face something as career-threatening (and potentially life-changing) as healthcare fraud prosecution, your entire life is hanging by a thread. You need an experienced, knowledgeable, and aggressive Miami healthcare fraud defense attorney who will fight for you and seek your best interests.

At the Kirlew Law Firm, we have years of legal experience handling all types of white-collar defense cases in Miami and greater South Florida. Our healthcare fraud defense attorneys can effectively intervene in the investigation and quickly gather the necessary information to execute a strategic defense.

When you retain our white-collar criminal defense services, you can count on the support and strength with experience. Brian Kirlew, Esq. and his Miami healthcare fraud defense team, have a proven track record of getting results in and out of the courtroom.

Contact us without any obligations; we are here to help you!

Call us at (305) 521-0484 or online to schedule a free phone consultation.