Illinois HealthCare Fraud Lawyers – Defense
In the high-stakes world of healthcare fraud and medicare fraud, a fraud allegation in Illinois and its metro areas is more than just a legal challenge—it’s a direct threat to your business future and personal livelihood. Our Illinois healthcare fraud lawyers and Medicare fraud defense attorneys can help.
Running your business and moving forward with your career, free of tarnish and allegations of fraud, overbilling, or having your reputation exposed is your goal. To meet that goal sometimes means dealing with federal healthcare fraud allegations that have no legal merit. Simply because the government launches and investigation against you does NOT mean that you have broken the law.
If you have been accused of defrauding Medicare, Medicaid or a private health insurance company, you could be facing a prison sentence and other substantial federal civil or criminal penalties. It is important to retain an experienced healthcare fraud criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible.
If you made an honest mistake, acted responsibly or even never intended to commit fraud against the government or any health care organization, there is a chance that you can be exonerated. To accomplish this goal, you want a. solid team that is dedicated to getting some results. This is where our healthcare fraud defense lawyers come in.
What Is Healthcare Fraud?
The Health Care Fraud Statute, codified under 18 USC 1347, makes it a federal offense to intentionally and knowingly defraud a healthcare benefit program. This law also covers attempts to commit such fraud, treating them with the same severity as the crime itself.
For physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers in Illinois being accused of healthcare fraud is a serious and complex matter. The implications of such an accusation are far-reaching and multifaceted, creating significant challenges when facing healthcare fraud criminal investigations by federal agencies such as the DOJ, DEA, OIG, or others. A federal investigation into “healthcare fraud” can arise from a variety of alleged actions, depending on the specific circumstances involved. This includes:
- Providing and billing for medically unnecessary services
- Billing for services not actually rendered to patients
- Falsifying patient records, prescriptions, physician certifications, and election statements
- Offering or accepting illegal “kickbacks” or referral fees
- Prescribing opioid medications to drug-dependent patients, diverting opioid prescriptions, and other forms of prescription drug fraud
If you are being investigated, indicted or charged with healthcare fraud in Illinois, watch this video and start building your legal defense now. You are not automatically guild because you have been charged.
Are you equipped with the right legal strategy to protect and defend your practice and your reputation before it’s too late?
Healthcare providers throughout Illinois and its metro areas are targeted by HHS, DEA, FBI, DOJ and other law enforcement agencies in high-stakes federal healthcare fraud investigations.
If you or the company have received a target letter, Civil Investigative Demand, or subpoena for a criminal case, immediately send our Illinois healthcare fraud defense lawyers.
Government Investigations | HealthCare Insurance Fraud Whistleblower Defense Strategies | Subpoenas & Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) | FBI, HHS, Office of the Inspector General (OIG), HHS, DEA, FBI and DOJ Investigations | Medicare Fraud Billing Defense | Federal Indictments | Medical Billing Fraud Defense | Federal Criminal Defense & Trials | Corporate Compliance | Internal Investigations | HealthCare Fraud Investigations Criminal Defense
Companies and Individuals Have Become Targets for HealthCare Fraud Across the United States
Legal defense for healthcare fraud Illinois: For many healthcare providers, manufacturers, and small and large businesses, participating in federal government benefit programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare is essential to maintaining their financial success. When investigated for health care fraud, federal investigations can be intrusive, scary and complex.
Your company is subjected to Health Care Fraud False Claims Act charges. This makes you subject to both civil and criminal penalties. The most common health care fraud charges involve alleged overbilling of healthcare services and billing of medical services not rendered. These charges may be brought against doctors, hospitals, home health care agencies, pharmacies and many other types of medical service providers.
Federal Healthcare providers in Illinois and nationwide are being targeted in federal healthcare fraud and False Claims Act investigations. Failure to secure the proper legal defense can expose you to jail time and serious fines. It’s time to find and hire experienced Illinois healthcare fraud criminal defense lawyers
You Have Constitutional Rights that the Government Cannot Cross When They Are Trying to Take Your Life, Liberty or Property Away. Let Us Help You Protect Those Rights
Our Clients
- Physicians;
- Physician assistants;
- Nurses;
- Physical and occupational therapists;
- Pharmacies;
- Pharmacists;
- Drug manufacturers;
- DME suppliers;
- Hospitals; and
- Clinics
Types of Medical Billing Fraud Cases
- Upcoding;
- Duplicate claims;
- Medically unnecessary services;
- Non-rendered services;
- Kickbacks;
- Stark violations;
- Trade Agreements Act
- Drug diversion; or
- Other fraud-related allegations.
Illinois Healthcare Fraud Defense Lawyer
Most Illinois healthcare fraud cases allege that a medical provider or a healthcare business (lab, pharmacy, hospital, home health agency) has submitted fraudulent billing claims to Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, or a commercial insurance company.
Please that true billing mistakes lack the intent that the government seeks to prove. Watson & Associates, LLC Illinois healthcare fraud defense lawyers know that federal prosecutors make mistakes. As a result, our legal team puts forth a rigorous legal defense in both civil and criminal cases. Please call us at 1.866.601.5518.
Medical Billing Fraud Attorney – Who Can Face Medicare Fraud Charges in Illinois?
Both beneficiaries and Medicare providers can face charges of insurance fraud. Whether you are a medical care provider such as a physician, nurse, or medical billing employee; or you are a patient charged with fraud, you should retain an Illinois healthcare insurance fraud lawyer immediately.
Some of the common reasons a provider can federal medical billing fraud charges:
- Overbilling of Services – Medicare providers who have not performed services and have billed for them could face criminal charges of fraud. These charges are very serious as they could ultimately result in the provider being banned from receiving any type of payment from these programs. False diagnosis is also another common way providers have defrauded Medicaid and Medicare.
- Violation of Stark and Anti-Kickback Laws – medicare providers are prohibited from referring patients to other providers in return for any type of financial gain. This includes referrals for any type of services including laboratory work, physical therapy, second opinions, etc. All types of providers and medical billing companies are bound by these rules. At Watson & Associates, LLC our federal medical billing fraud lawyers are here to help you to defend your case.
- Up Billing Patients – when a hospital, physician’s office or a billing company improperly codes procedures or they bill services individually when they are offered as a “bundle”. All submissions for reimbursement must be properly coded and if a pattern of abuse is discovered the Medicare provider could face federal criminal fraud charges.
Illinois FBI Healthcare Fraud Defense Attorneys
If you are facing an FBI investigation, indicted or facing federal charges for healthcare fraud, you should seek legal counsel from an experienced Illinois FBI healthcare fraud lawyer. If your company or home was raided by the FBI and search warrants were involved our criminal defense attorney can help.
What are Possible Legal Defenses to HealthCare Fraud?
There are some potential legal defenses to healthcare fraud charges:
Lack of Intent or Mistake – To commit fraud under health care fraud rules , you must have the requisite legal intent to cheat the government or insurer out of money. If you acted in good faith but made a mistake, accidentally omitted information, made an error, or made a mistake in billing, you cannot be convicted of health care fraud.
Insufficient Evidence – The government must have evidence of your intent to defraud and enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Without sufficient evidence, you cannot be convicted.
Compliance Program – Experienced federal Illinois HealthCare Fraud defense lawyers can help you by directing the fact of your case and aggressively surmounting a solid legal defense. Evidence of a comprehensive compliance plan can be used to show you lacked intent to engage in health care fraud.
Consent – You do not commit fraud if you were granted permission for your actions by the alleged victim. Evidence you were given permission to do what you are accused of is a defense against the charges.
Practice Lead (US Supreme Court Licensed)
Call our Illinois healthcare qui tam defense attorneys and federal healthcare fraud defense lawyers today for a Free Initial Consultation at 1.866.601.5518.
Speak to Theodore Watson. Top Federal False Claims Act healthcare fraud defense lawyers for small businesses and large corporations nationwide.
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We can handle federal cases in every state. Watson’s Illinois HealthCare Fraud lawyers, Medical Billing Fraud and False Claims Act criminal defense attorneys serve Chicago, Aurora IL, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, Springfield, Peoria, Elgin, Waukegan, Cicero, Champaign, Bloomington, Arlington Heights, Evanston, Decatur, Schaumburg, Bolingbrook, Palatine, Skokie, Des Plaines and more. We will comb the facts of your case, develop the strongest legal defense, and aggressively fight back.
Federal False Claims Act
Illinois Medicare fraud billing defense lawyers: The federal False Claims Act (FCA) imposes civil and criminal penalties for the submission of “false or fraudulent” claims for payment by the federal government – including payment under Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, and other federal healthcare programs. This includes intentional and unintentional billing and coding errors, as well as various other forms of healthcare fraud. Civil penalties under the FCA include fines, recoupments, treble damages, and program exclusion. Criminal penalties include fines and federal imprisonment. Call our Illinois healthcare fraud criminal defense lawyers for immediate help.
The Anti-Kickback Statute
The Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) makes it illegal for healthcare providers such as doctors and physicians to offer, pay, solicit, or receive any form of payment, rebate, referral fee, or kickback in return for referring patients whose care is reimbursed by federal healthcare programs. The AKS imposes both civil and criminal penalties for violations. However, it also outlines specific “safe harbor” provisions that protect certain types of relationships and transactions from legal liability, shielding them from civil or criminal prosecution.
Stark Law
Illinois Stark Law Attorneys: The Stark Law specifically prohibits “physician self-referrals,” which occur when a physician refers patients to entities in which they or their immediate family members have a financial interest. Although the Stark Law shares similarities with the Anti-Kickback Statute—both addressing unlawful referral arrangements—it is distinct in several key ways.
The Stark Law is a civil statute, not criminal, and its application is confined to transactions between physicians and their affiliated entities. Furthermore, it only pertains to transactions involving “designated health services.” Despite its civil nature, federal authorities frequently employ the Stark Law to investigate physicians, and violations can result in significant civil penalties.
The Federal Healthcare Fraud Statute 18 USC 1347,
The healthcare fraud statute, 18 USC 1347, makes it a federal offense for you to “knowingly and willfully” defraud or attempt to defraud any healthcare benefit program or seek to secure payment from a healthcare benefit program by “false or fraudulent pretenses.” 18 USC 1347 is a federal criminal statute used by the feds to come after you. You can be convicted at trial if you do not put up a defense of knowingly and willfully defrauding the federal government. You can be liable for huge fines and years of jail time.
Illinois Medicaid/Medicare Fraud Billing Defense Lawyer
Medicaid and Medicare fraud billingoccurs very often, However, not every provider or company accused of federal medicare fraud is guilty or acted unlawfully. If you suspect that you are being investigated for or accused of Medicaid or Medicare fraud., you should find a medicare fraud defense lawyer immediately. When the government investigates or targets your company, you literally have to fight for your life. You should wait to act. Our Illinois HealthCare Fraud lawyers and False Claims Act criminal defense lawyers can help.
Illinois Medicaid Fraud Criminal Defense Lawyers
Medicaid fraud criminal cases in Illinois cases are typically investigated and prosecuted by the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Fraud Strike Force. This focus is usually to target false billing by medical professionals, doctors, and nurses. Oftentimes law enforcement agencies will set up undercover “sting” operations on suspected individuals who could be engaged in Medicaid fraud in Illinois. Many criminal investigations are opened due to whistleblower tips.
The Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Team (“HEAT”) was created by the Department of Justice in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services. HEAT is dedicated to the prevention of fraud, waste, and abuse. HEAT only deals with Medicaid fraud and Medicaid fraud. If you are investigated or charged as a result of health care fraud, please call our Illinois Medicaid Fraud criminal defense lawyers who can service Chicago, Aurora IL, Rockford, Joliet, Naperville, and Springfield.
In Medicaid fraud cases, the investigators may allege or uncover several other offenses that often accompany Medicaid fraud allegations. These criminal offenses might include:
- Aggravated identity theft
- Asset forfeiture charges
- Conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud
- Durable products fraud
Immediate Help from Watson & Associates LLC
Whether you. are under federal investigation, presented with a civil investigative demand (CID) or subpoena, or being indicted by a grand jury, our Illinois criminal defense lawyers and healthcare defense attorneys are here to help.
Contact Our Illinois HealthCare Enforcement Action Defense Lawyers
As 18 USC 1347 Healthcare enforcement action defense lawyers, we represent clients and federal courts in Illinois healthcare fraud cases under 18 USC 1347,. Please contact us to schedule a FREE initial consultation. Speak to our lead attorney, Theodore Watson, directly.