New Hampshire Health Care Fraud Lawyer
Health care in New Hampshire is an important business, and the penalties for health care fraud have gotten a lot tougher in recent years. If you are facing these charges, you need to speak with a New Hampshire health care fraud lawyer who can examine all of the aspects of your case and advise you of your legal options going forward. Contact an adept fraud attorney that can work diligently to craft your legal defense.
Intentional Deception
Fraud is difficult to compare to other crimes. Prosecutors must prove intentional deception or misrepresentation made with the purpose of collecting unauthorized benefits. Both the U.S. government and New Hampshire prosecutors are cracking down on health care fraud. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) established a separate federal health care fraud offense. It funded the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to go address intentional deceit and health care scams.
The most common type of health care fraud is billing for services that were not furnished. Whether billing for a patient for an appointment that never happened, or for medical devices the doctor did not supply, this common form of health care fraud is one-way providers can divert funds into their own bank accounts. A similar offense is known as upcoding, in which health care providers bill for products or services at a more expensive rate. It is easy to enter an erroneous code by mistake and get accused of upcoding.
False Prescriptions
As the opioid epidemic has spiraled in New Hampshire, the prevalence of “doctor shopping” has grown. This occurs when patients visit several different physicians to get multiple doses of controlled substances. These drugs are either overused by the patient or illegally distributed to others. In 2015, opioids killed about 33,000 people in the U.S., with about half of the deaths caused by a falsely prescribed opioid.
Identity theft is another major crime. The misuse of a person’s medical identity to wrongfully obtain health care medicines, devices, services, or funds has become more common. A criminal charge carries harsher consequences than a civil complaint. Individuals may be incarcerated for months or years, which impacts on career and family. It is important to get the assistance of an experienced New Hampshire health care fraud attorney when facing health care fraud charges.
Challenging the Evidence
The consequences of a criminal conviction are dire. Therefore, the suspect is presumed innocent. The burden of proof is on the prosecution, and it must prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
A key question is whether the evidence that the authorities have is actually admissible in court. The Fourth Amendment says that searches must be done in accordance with a warrant that particularly describes the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Skilled New Hampshire health care fraud lawyers require authorities to thoroughly explain how evidence was obtained to assist individuals in finding the best possible outcome.
Talking to a Lawyer
It is a well-known fact that everyone makes mistakes. However, just because you have made a mistake does not mean you deserve to face unnecessarily severe penalties. A hardworking New Hampshire health care fraud lawyer can listen to and handle your case without judgment. If you are facing accusations of health care fraud, get in touch with a New Hampshire health care fraud attorney today.