Medicaid Fraud Lawyer in Gretna

Medicaid is a healthcare system provided by the United States government to offer medical assistance and help to those who cannot afford them. So many people need medical assistance and can’t get access to it because they don’t have the financial backing for it. As a means to bridge this gap, the federal government in collaboration with the state government came up with Medicaid to help them.

It is funded by both the federal and state governments, and this means that in all 50 states of the United States of America, there are Medicaid providers. Having known what Medicaid is, it may interest you to know that there is Medicaid fraud which is considered a very serious offense in Louisiana.

What is Medicaid fraud all about? Well, it involves getting funds from Medicaid intentionally or unintentionally to be used for another improper cause. It is a criminal violation and it comes with severe penalties that include imprisonment, payment of fines, recoupments, loss of Medicaid license, and so on.

Laws Guiding Medicaid Fraud In Gretna

Here is what the Louisiana Revised Statute in 14:70.1 says about Medicaid fraud: That Medicaid fraud entails an individual engaging in fraudulent activity to defraud the state through the medical assistance program. This can be done by:

Intentionally submitting false information in a bid to receive greater compensation than what is rightly meant to be.

Presenting false claims in a bid to furnish service and other merchandise.

Intentionally submitting false information to get authorization to furnish service and other merchandise.

What Situations Can Make Me Get Punished For Medicaid Fraud In Gretna?

Several situations can make a person to be arrested and charged with Medicaid fraud. Some instances of Medicaid fraud are:

When a provider bills the government for services that were never provided

Submitting of duplicate billing

Providing a false diagnosis

Billing for a different service other than what was provided

Group of patients or providers making plans to commit fraud

Coming up with a false statement for the government

A patient claiming that he or she did not receive medical services when it is false

Selling pharmaceuticals gotten from Medicaid illegally

Forging receipts

Using the Medicaid account of another patient

If your crime falls into any of these and more, you can be arrested and charged for Medicaid fraud in Gretna. However, there might be a mix-up somewhere and it may be discovered that a person might not have intended to defraud the system.

What Are The Possible Penalties For Medicaid Fraud In Gretna?

Every crime has its punishment as offenders must be brought to book. As regards this, offenders for Medicaid fraud have their penalties. In Louisiana, Medicaid fraud is considered a felony and so, the punishment is severe. Before you can be convicted for Medicaid fraud, a thorough investigation of the crime will be done to show that you are guilty.

The goal of Medicaid is to provide treatment and medical assistance to all those who cannot afford it. It becomes worse if people have a bad intention of trying to defraud the system. As mentioned earlier, there are providers in every state and it may interest you to know that these providers sometimes try to defraud the system. Therefore, a provider can be charged as well as a patient or an individual.

According to the Louisiana Revised Statute, if you are found guilty of Medicaid fraud, you will be sent to prison for not more than 5 years with or without hard labor or will be required to pay a fine of $20,000, or both.

Here are the general penalties:

Jail term or imprisonment

Fines

Criminal record

Reputation damage

Recoupments

Loss of license

Delisting from Medicaid

What Do I Do If I Have Been Charged With Medicaid Fraud In Gretna?

If you are in Gretna, Jefferson Parish and you have been charged to court with Medicaid fraud, you have to seek a vigorous defense. And you can only do this with the help of a seasoned attorney. Of course, you don’t want to spend years in prison or spend a huge amount of money paying fines. Therefore, you should do the needful.

Get a lawyer that would be able to defend you in court and help you with all your judicial proceedings. It is no news that Medicaid claims as well as billings are very complicated. Therefore, one can make an honest mistake without any intention of defrauding the system. Your lawyer, with the right negotiation skills, can be able to make the court reduce your charges or cancel them depending on the situation. A professional Medicaid lawyer in Gretna will know the laws that are applicable in a Medicaid fraud case and can come up with strong defense on your behalf. If you want to avoid paying fines, serving a jail term and of course having a criminal record, get a good lawyer. In all, your attorney will give you good legal advice, tell you what to expect, and also represent you in court.

Metairie Criminal Defense Attorneys

If you want a well-experienced lawyer, you can reach out to us at the Barkemeyer Law firm. Over the years, we’ve had a lot of experience helping people in Gretna and Louisiana as a whole to deal with their Medicaid fraud issues. We know how critical this issue can be and this is why we do our best to help our clients. Many a time, people have been wrongly accused of Medicaid fraud and we aim to get the best defenses in that cause.

At the Barkemeyer Law Firm, we help to represent medical organizations and individuals that need a defense against Medicaid fraud in Gretna, Metairie, Kenner, and other environs.