Penalties for health care fraud violations can range in type and severity. Over the last several years, the federal government has been aggressively cracking down on health care fraud. Health care fraud is a type of crime that involves the filing of dishonest health care claims. Anyone who is convicted of health care fraud faces serious civil and criminal penalties. In this article, we examine the penalties for committing health care fraud.
Criminal Penalties
The criminal penalties associated with health care fraud are significant. A person who makes fraudulent claims as described in the False Claims Act faces up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000. Health care providers who are convicted of violating the anti-kickback statute also face fines of up to $25,000 and a five-year period of incarceration.
Civil Penalties
Health care fraud can also carry heavy civil penalties. A medical provider who violates the anti-kickback statute faces a fine of up to $50,000 per violation and a fine of up to $11,000 for each violation of the False Claims Act. In addition, the Office of Inspector General may impose a fine of three times the damages that the government suffered due to kickbacks or fraudulent claims.
Administrative Penalties
In addition to the penalties described above, health care providers who are convicted of fraud may be excluded from participation in federal health care programs. Failure to comply with the terms of exclusion can result in additional penalties. Specifically, the Office of the Inspector General may assess a fine of $10,000 for each item or service an excluded party attempts to bill Medicare. Also, since reinstatement into federal health care programs is not automatic, violations may provide grounds for continued exclusion in the future.
Accused of Health Care Fraud?
Innocent health care providers often find themselves facing fraud charges because of oversights, errors, and misunderstandings. For example, providers are sometimes investigated for fraud after charging for legitimate services or making unintentional billing errors. Given the harsh criminal and civil penalties associated with a health care fraud conviction, it’s important to contact a health care fraud defense attorney immediately if you’ve been accused of health care fraud.
Contact a Health Care Fraud Defense Attorney
If you are facing health care fraud charges, you should contact an experienced health care fraud defense attorney as soon as possible. At Griffin Durham Tanner Clarkson LLC, our health care fraud defense attorneys are well prepared to defend you against multiple types of health care fraud accusations. In addition, our talented health care fraud defense attorneys work across the United States, meaning that we can defend you against health care fraud accusations regardless of where you reside in the country. When you choose Griffin Durham Tanner Clarkson LLC to defend you, we will work tirelessly to protect your rights, your reputation, and your freedom. Please contact us as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation.