There is a range of penalties for offenses that fall under the broad term of healthcare fraud. Fraud charges are criminal, and if the accused person is convicted, they could face prison time, financial penalties, and other consequences. If you are facing Maryland federal healthcare fraud penalties, speak with an experienced lawyer today. An attorney could review your case, provide you with legal advice, and work tirelessly to defend your rights.
How Prosecutors Treat Healthcare Fraud Cases
Federal prosecutors treat healthcare fraud very seriously. Healthcare is a massive business and it affects every person in the country, in one form or another. Cracking down on healthcare fraud is a high priority for federal prosecutors.
The decision to file criminal charges is not taken lightly by federal prosecutors. Even the initiation of an investigation represents a significant commitment of federal resources. In most cases, federal prosecutors will not seek an indictment or arrest unless they firmly believe a crime occurred and they have strong evidence to support this belief.
Healthcare Billing Fraud
The specific Maryland federal healthcare fraud penalties will vary with the type of fraud. If it is a case in which Medicare was billing the government for services that were not provided, the penalty is going to be based on the value of the false billing. The government would look at how much full services were billed and use that information to determine the sentencing guidelines or the starting point for the sentence. In situations where proper medical care was provided but additional services were charged, the determining factor for the sentence would be the value of the unnecessary charge.
Unnecessary or Excessive Services
In some cases, the patient may be harmed by a medical provider’s fraudulent practices. If the healthcare provider recommends and provides unnecessary or extensive services and bill Medicare for them, not only is Medicare and the government suffering a financial loss, but the individual is receiving less than ideal healthcare. The patient may be receiving treatments that are not necessary or could be dangerous while being charged excessively for services they do not need. In addition to the financial loss to the government, there is the loss and the harm to the individual, which could be financial or physical harm.
Collateral Consequences
The Maryland federal healthcare fraud penalties depend on the nature of the allegation or the fraud. If there is no prison sentence, the person could be facing five years of probation. Many times, there is collateral consequencing involving licensing or the ability to continuing practicing in the healthcare field. If it is a larger scale of fraud, then the individual could be facing several years in jail. Collateral consequences of healthcare fraud depend on the scale of the fraud and the impact it had on the patient. Due to the trust that is involved in a relationship with a healthcare provider, the court system and the sentencing commission takes these allegations seriously. This is why someone facing charges should contact an accomplished defense attorney as soon as possible.
