Healthcare Fraud Defense Attorneys
If federal authorities investigate you for healthcare fraud, or you expect them to, seek qualified legal counsel right away. The U.S. healthcare system and its rules confuse many people. You need an attorney with strong healthcare experience to fight a healthcare fraud charge.
At Hickey & Chung, LLP, our attorneys represent doctors, nurses, pharmacists, insurers and other healthcare providers in fraud matters. We handle investigations, jury trials and professional license revocation hearings. Our deep knowledge of U.S. healthcare laws helps us win excellent results for our clients.
Stepping In After Healthcare Fraud Allegations
Healthcare fraud charges offer defenses that many practitioners, investigators and attorneys miss. For example, the Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law include built-in safe harbors. These safe harbors protect practitioners under specific conditions. Furthermore, prosecutors struggle to prove billing fraud because medical coding involves many gray areas. Most fraud charges also force the government to prove you acted “willfully.” This means they must show you knew your actions broke the law.
Even if evidence shows fraud, the financial “loss” calculation often drives your sentence and other penalties. The government sometimes commits errors when evaluating fraud cases. Hiring an experienced attorney helps you protect your rights. A strong defense keeps your medical license safe and prevents damage to your career.
Frequently Asked Questions
Review these common questions regarding federal healthcare fraud and your legal rights.
What Is federal healthcare fraud?
Federal healthcare fraud happens when providers knowingly submit false claims to make money. Accusations usually grow from upcoding or billing for services you did not provide. Government audits frequently trigger unexpected investigations into these practices.
Can a provider lose their medical license over billing or kickback allegations?
Yes. Professional licensing boards often discipline providers after federal criminal charges. Even a mere investigation or a conviction can trigger a review. This review might result in the revocation of your medical license. Our attorneys fight to defend your freedom and your career.
What are the penalties for a healthcare fraud conviction?
Federal law imposes harsh penalties for a conviction. These punishments include heavy fines, restitution payments and federal prison time. We work aggressively to attack the government’s evidence.
What makes healthcare fraud unique under the law?
Healthcare fraud cases differ greatly from other criminal charges. The sheer volume of industry rules means your defense attorney must have significant experience. They need to understand complex healthcare laws, Medicare and Medicaid guidelines, and OIG (Office of the Inspector General) procedures.
The OIG is a federal agency. It fights waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid and Department of Health & Human Services programs. The OIG Office of Investigations acts as a federal healthcare law enforcement agency. It runs criminal investigations into fraud across the healthcare programs it monitors.
Schedule An Appointment
Our legal team at Hickey & Chung, LLP, is skilled, passionate and effective. We dedicate our practice to helping clients fight healthcare fraud charges, and we consistently achieve great results.
You need an attorney who thoroughly understands healthcare cases. The right lawyer helps you defend your freedom, protect your reputation and keep your medical license. Attorney Brendan Hickey graduated from Harvard and formerly worked as a federal defender. Both Mr. Hickey and Naomi Chung have been selected to the Northern California Super Lawyers list.
Call 415-484-4547 or email us today to schedule a consultation with our firm.