As a society, we place a great deal of trust in our doctors and healthcare providers to do what is best for us when we need medical care. While doctors in the United States typically provide outstanding service to their patients, bad things happen sometimes, either unintentionally or otherwise. One area where fraud and abuse can occur is Medicare, so let’s take a second to educate ourselves based on this report from eHealth Medicare.
What is Medicare Fraud and Abuse?
Medicare fraud occurs when doctors or patients intentionally bill Medicare for unnecessary or inaccurate services, or for services that they never performed in the first place. This is not the same as a billing mistake, which is an accident that can be corrected with relative ease. Instead, Medicare fraud perpetrators often defraud the system many times.
If you notice unusual charges on your bill for services you did not receive, or if you feel that your doctor is being very pushy about getting additional procedures, waving payments, or making other promises which seem out of the ordinary for normal care, it is important that you keep records of your encounters and report them to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services as soon as possible.
How to Handle Medicare Fraud Allegations
If you have been accused of Medicare fraud, you may be facing serious penalties including fines and prison time. In this case, it is important that you retain a qualified criminal defense attorney and document as much as you can about the alleged fraud. The Law Offices of Brian A. Newman provides dedicated criminal defense attorney services for Southern California. If you need someone to defend you in court, call (424) 275-4014 today to set up a free initial consultation.
