Beverly Hills Medicare Fraud Attorney

Medicare Fraud: Serious Penalties

Medicare is a federally-administered, social healthcare insurance program that individuals become eligible for at the age of 65. In recent years, Medicare has been the target of government investigations and there has been a dramatic increase in charges related to defrauding the system. In 2010, an estimated 9% of all program spending was lost to fraud and other means.

Medicare fraud occurs when an individual or corporation such as a hospital or clinic makes a dishonest attempt to collect Medicare reimbursement for healthcare expenses or services that were not actually rendered. Medicare often occurs through phantom billing, patient billing or a practice known as upcoding, where a medical code for a more expensive procedure or test is submitted in place of the accurate, less expensive one. If you or a loved one has been charged with Medicare fraud, contact a Beverly Hills criminal defense attorney at your earliest convenience to begin working on building a solid defense.

Defending Medicare Fraud Charges in Beverly Hills

The penalties for Medicare fraud can be very severe, depending on the amount allegedly defrauded from Medicare, as well as how many instances of the crime the defendant is accused of committing. Financial penalties up to $500,000 may be levied, depending on if the guilty party is an individual or a corporation. In some cases, money stolen in the act may also be paid back. Those found guilty of Medicare fraud can expect to face up to 5 years in prison per count, loss of personal assets, bank account seizure and other serious repercussions. It is advised that you immediately seek legal counsel from our firm to discuss your case, as early intervention can be beneficial.

Contact a Beverly Hills Medicare fraud attorney today.