If you’ve been accused of medical fraud, you should not hesitate to contact medical fraud attorneys as soon as possible. The penalties and consequences of being successfully prosecuted for medical fraud are extremely serious, but there are some effective defense strategies that your lawyer will be able to help you with. The sooner you get started on your defense, the better.

5 Defense Effective Strategies in Medical Fraud Defense Cases

Contacting Medical Fraud Attorneys Early

The earlier you address a medical fraud allegation, the stronger your position. Securing relevant records, like medical charts, billing documents, and investigator communications, is very important, and you’ll want to have them in hand as soon as you can.

An attorney can analyze this evidence and the accusations, identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, and craft a tailored defense plan for you. Early engagement with investigators might even open doors for negotiation and potentially allow you to avoid formal charges.

Showing Lack of Intent

A critical defense strategy often depends on simply demonstrating the absence of deliberate wrongdoing. The incident might have been a genuine mistake in billing due to complex regulations, or perhaps you relied on the advice of others. For instance, an attorney might be able to effectively argue that a coding error stemmed from a misunderstanding of a recently updated regulation.

Demonstrating Good Faith Efforts

Showing that you acted in good faith and believed your actions were compliant with regulations goes a long way in countering fraud allegations. Evidence of a robust compliance program within your practice would strengthen this position.

If you have employee training programs, internal audits, and clear billing guidelines in place and can demonstrate each, these are all measures that demonstrate you’re taking a proactive approach to preventing fraud. This allows you to more effectively argue that a simple and unintentional mistake was made or that the prosecution is misinterpreting the evidence.

Challenging the Evidence

A skilled lawyer will carefully examine the evidence against you, including looking at billing records for inconsistencies, questioning the credibility of witness testimonies, and potentially employing expert witnesses to contest claims made by the prosecution.

For example, an expert might analyze medical records to confirm the services billed for were medically necessary. A lawyer with experience in this area can do more than you might think: for more information, click here.

Showing Legitimate Services and Patient Care

Demonstrating that the services you billed for were not only medically necessary but actually rendered to the patient can be the best defense of all. Medical records, physician notes, and thorough patient documentation will show this when presented well. A well-documented case strengthens the argument that you were providing legitimate care and not engaging in fraudulent billing practices.

These are just a few strategies you and your defense lawyers may be able to use: the precise strategy that you develop will depend entirely on the unique circumstances of your case. Don’t wait to contact qualified attorneys as soon as you know you’re being investigated for medical fraud.