Many medical providers and pharmaceutical companies commit healthcare fraud. Healthcare fraud is harmful to patients and consumers. It also costs U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars each year. If you’re aware of healthcare fraud, you should immediately contact an Atlanta healthcare fraud lawyer.
The Atlanta employment dispute lawyers have successfully represented healthcare fraud whistleblowers for many years. Federal laws authorize whistleblowers to receive up to 30% of the fines that the government recoups. In 2019, healthcare fraud whistleblowers received $254,579,804 total compensation.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470. Also, you can fill-out our online contact form to schedule a free case review with an Atlanta healthcare fraud lawyer.
Medical Provider Fraud
Many greedy medical providers submit false Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement claims. Each year, federal and state governments accidentally pay a substantial number of those claims. Then, those costs are passed on to U.S. taxpayers.
For instance, in 2020, Medicaid fraud cost American taxpayers $86 billion dollars and Medicare fraud cost them $41 billion dollars.
If your employer defrauded Medicare or Medicaid, contact an Atlanta healthcare fraud lawyer.
Here are two common Medicare and Medicaid fraud schemes:
- Fraudulent reimbursement claims submitted to Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers for services that weren’t provided. Those claims accounted for 46% of all provider fraud cases in 2016.
- Falsified claim schemes in which medical providers submit claims on behalf of fake patients. Those claims accounted for 25.5% of provider fraud cases in 2016.
Some medical providers also participate in unlawful kickback schemes by paying bribes to receive patient referrals. Kickback schemes accounted for 20% of all provider fraud cases in 2016. Other medical providers unlawfully distribute prescription drugs. Those schemes accounted for 10.8% of all provider fraud cases in 2016. They also contribute to America’s opioid crisis.
Pharmaceutical Fraud
Pharmaceutical companies also commit costly healthcare fraud, such as:
- Off-label promotion (e.g. falsely claiming that a prescription drug is safe and effective for unapproved purposes).
- Kickbacks (e.g. pharmaceutical companies paid doctors to prescribe their medications).
- Medicare and Medicaid fraud (e.g. underpaying Medicare and Medicaid rebates).
Can I Recover Compensation If I Participated in The Healthcare Fraud?
Maybe. Some whistleblowers are knowledgeable about the healthcare fraud because they participated in the scheme. For example, a medical billing assistant might have been told that she would be fired if she didn’t assist with the scheme. The assistant might have needed that job to keep her home. So, she felt that she had to obey her manager. The Department of Justice will consider all mitigating factors when it decides how much of the recovered fines it will share with the whistleblower. The whistleblower reward typically ranges from 15% to 30%.
Why Should I Hire An Atlanta Healthcare Fraud Lawyer?
We urge you to contact Graham Scofield Injury Lawyers if you’re aware of medical provider or pharmaceutical fraud. We can also help you if you’ve suffered retaliation after reporting fraud. We’ll listen to your story and help you win justice.
Call us today at (404) 939-9470. Also, you can fill-out our online contact form to schedule a free case review with an Atlanta healthcare fraud lawyer.
