Health Care Fraud Cases
“Health care fraud” often means that physicians and others working with them used their jobs to fraudulently obtain monies related to medical care, such as doctor visits, medication, medical procedures, or prescriptions.
Prescriptions for drugs are sometimes changed or written without a doctor’s authorization. These cases are health care related, but actually are “drug cases” because a prescription authorizes a pharmacist or other health care professional to dispense drugs for the patient that otherwise would be illegal to possess or distribute.
Wholesale misuse of prescriptions by issuing them when not medically necessary is the basis for prosecutions of doctors, staff, and pharmacists for operating “pill mills.” Pill mill cases are drug trafficking conspiracy cases, and these usually prosecuted as federal cases. Pill mill cases of prescriptions for pain medication are different from other drug distribution conspiracies. Physicians are accused of giving prescriptions for hydrocodone and other pain medications when not necessary.
Health Professionals Accused
The common pill mill scheme includes physicians from pain management clinics with too many prescriptions to patients or too high of an amount of pain pills. Others who know that too many prescriptions are issued to a patient, or that the number of pills is too many, can also be prosecuted. Pharmacists can be charged when they are filling prescriptions that have no medical value because of the high dosage, or if the prescription is altered to reflect a higher dosage
Also, allegations in a pill mill case could include mass marketing of the clinic, tests that are not necessary, and incorrect diagnoses to justify giving the pain medications.
What to Do If You Are Charged or Are Under Investigation
Hire an experienced federal defense attorney who knows the U.S. Attorney’s prosecutions. You need to determine what the federal prosecutor is going to claim as your involvement. An experienced federal criminal defense attorney can speak with the federal prosecutor so you will
not have to do so, which would put you at risk of making a statement that could possibly be used against you.
Defend Your Position
An experienced federal defense attorney can help you show that federal prosecutor that the government’s case is incorrect or based upon incomplete information. An experienced defense attorney can pro-actively push for non-prosecution, or in appropriate cases, lessen the case against you.
Timing of the Investigation and Formal Charges
An experienced attorney would want to learn about the government’s evidence, and continue discussions with the federal prosecutor to try to stop prosecution. A former federal prosecutor will help try to dissuade prosecution by the government and give advice as to decisions you will make.
Call Attorney John Teakell
John Teakell was a federal prosecutor for many years, and he is experienced in defending people with fraud charges, pill mills, and other federal cases.
