If you are facing allegations of Medicaid fraud, it is important to take them very seriously. You must know what defense options you have, as this could have a major impact on your future, your freedom, your career and your finances.
That said, it is also crucial to understand exactly what type of charges you are facing and what the allegations against you look like. What type of fraud have you been accused of? Below are three potential examples.
Upcoding
First of all, upcoding is the process of billing for services that are more expensive than the ones that were actually provided. There was a real patient, and they did receive services, but the bill being sent to Medicaid is higher than the actual cost.
Services not provided
Another example is when Medicaid is billed for services or medical items and devices that were never actually provided to the patient. This could include adding additional services or simply phantom billing for a patient who never received any services at all.
Accepting kickbacks
Finally, another type of Medicaid fraud occurs when a doctor or physician receives kickbacks for preferential treatment. For instance, the doctor may be given payments for referring a patient to certain services or ordering different types of tests, procedures or medications. If the kickbacks are influencing the physician’s decisions, it could be considered a type of fraud.
Your defense options
These are just three examples out of many types of Medicaid fraud. As you move forward in your case, be sure you know what defense options you have at this time.