Doctors and other medical professionals are held to high legal standards for obvious and important reasons. These include that they are responsible for providing us with care when we are at our most vulnerable, and we trust them to do so within the protective boundaries of their esteemed profession. When doctors and others in medical professions engage in fraudulent activity that relates to their work, it can seriously harm their patients and other clients of the medical facility – in addition to society at large – which is why there are serious legal consequences attached to healthcare fraud. If you are facing a charge of healthcare fraud, you need a dedicated Lampasas criminal lawyer with extensive experience handling these complicated cases in your corner.
Defining Healthcare Fraud
Dishonest behavior on the part of doctors and other healthcare professional can lead to increased costs for their patients, including:
Higher out-of-pocket costs
Higher health insurance premiums
This is in addition to other risks that can include inadequate health care and treatment. When medical professionals are more concerned with their profits than with the overall health of their clients, the entire medical system can suffer the damaging effects, and the law takes notice.
Common Examples of Healthcare Fraud
While healthcare fraud can come in many different varieties, some of the most common examples include:
Prescribing drugs that are not necessary and benefiting financially from the profits generated
Upcoding medical services that are provided and pocketing the cash generated
Overbilling health insurance companies
Falsely identifying patients as recipients of either Medicaid or Medicare
The consequences of healthcare fraud can harm the patients involved, the medical system at large, and society as a whole, which is why the State of Texas takes healthcare fraud charges extremely seriously.
The Consequences of a Conviction
If convicted of healthcare fraud, professionals face the very real threat of losing their professional licensure permanently (in addition to other legal consequences that can include paying restitution to those directly harmed by the fraud). As a medical professional, your reputation is your calling card and your brand, and once it is tarnished, it can be very difficult to rebuild. In other words, if you are looking at a charge of healthcare fraud, you face social consequences that can be just as difficult as their legal counterparts. As such, it is imperative that you move quickly to protect your legal rights and social standing by working closely with a dedicated Lampasas criminal lawyer from the outset.
Do Not Wait to Consult with an Experienced Lampasas Criminal Lawyer
If you are facing a charge of healthcare fraud, it is an important issue that should receive your focused attention. Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Lampasas, Texas, is an impressive criminal lawyer with reserves of experience protecting the legal rights and the medical credentials of clients like you. Our dedicated legal team is on your side, so please do not hesitate to contact or call us at 254-501-4040 for more information about what we can do to help you today.
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