Health Care Fraud Defense

Health Care Fraud Defense

Defending Health Care Providers Against Fraud Allegations

Health care fraud accusations can affect anyone in the healthcare industry, and can bring serious consequences along with them. Health care providers, hospitals, and those employed by health care facilities may be accused of defrauding insurance companies to increase profits. While the healthcare industry is rife with fraudulent claims, sometimes health care professionals who are just trying to provide their patients with the best quality of care get caught up in the blue tape. Health care professionals may stand accused health care fraud for anything from ordering tests the insurance company deems unnecessary to prescribing the non-standard drugs.

If you’ve been accused of health care fraud you need to contact Dallas attorney, John R. Teakell to begin building your defense. There are a variety of crimes under the healthcare fraud classification that John Teakell has a strong record in defending clients against. He specializes in kickback schemes, overbilling, pill mills, and prescription fraud.

Kickback Schemes

This type of fraud is an arrangement between a healthcare professional or institution and a third-party entity. The person prescribing goods, medicines, and services gets a kickback from referrals and makes a profit. This may include something as innocuous as a doctor prescribing a pill that isn’t the industry standard treatment and instead of prescribing something else that just happens to work, to put more money in their pockets. This law is taken seriously because doctors are supposed to treat the patient’s illness without profit in mind.

Overbilling

Doctors and institutions may find themselves in legal trouble for overbilling insurance companies. Doctors may request payment for services they didn’t provide or services they provided that the patient didn’t need to get a larger payout. Doctors may also alter documentation to get an uncovered treatment covered by the insurance company.

Pill Mills

A “pill mill” is a doctor, hospital, pharmacy, clinic, or any other medical institution that dispenses medications recklessly or inappropriately. These medical institutions might give patients opioids or narcotics in high amounts or for non-medical reasons. Physicians who prescribe highly addictive prescriptions like Morphine, Oxycodone, or Fentanyl frequently and in high amounts may garner the DEA’s attention.

Prescription Fraud

This happens when people get medications through unethical means like deception. They may get the prescription they want by forging a prescription or lying to their doctor. This fraud is costly to insurers, taxpayers, and hospitals. However, it’s also detrimental to the addicted individuals that commit this kind of fraud. Many people get a legitimate prescription, but then become addicted and start to manipulate the system.