Fraud is using deceit or misrepresentation to gain money, goods or items of value. While certain healthcare fraud crimes involve healthcare providers, others involve patients and clients. Regardless of whether you are patient or provider, a fraud conviction has serious penalties. You could face costly fines and significant incarceration time. You may even be prosecuted on the federal level.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) healthcare fraud costs the United States approximately 80 billion dollars a year. In some cases, the line between legal and illegal may be blurred – or you may not be aware that what you are doing is illegal.
Common examples of healthcare fraud include:
Those convicted of federal healthcare fraud could spend decades or even a lifetime behind bars. In April of 2013, in Texas, a federal jury convicted three people in a healthcare fraud scheme stemming from their involvement in the operation of Euless Healthcare Corp. The punishments each defendant received were serious, amounting to many years of prison time and excessive fines. If you face fraud charges, a San Antonio criminal defense attorney can help protect your interests.