Federal Health Care Fraud Investigations Defense Attorney

(855) 337-6836

Health care fraud investigations can span months or in some cases even years. They can seem fairly innocuous enough to begin with, with investigators just asking questions about billing practices and requesting copies of billing records etc. rather than reading Miranda warnings or arresting anyone. Don’t be fooled however, these investigators are seeking convictions and prison sentences.

Mistakes made while answering questions from investigators or providing the wrong documents to them may irreparably damage your defense, or worse still, lead to additional charges of obstruction of justice. If you have been contacted by investigators or believe that you may be the target of a health care fraud investigation, you should immediately get in touch with an experienced health care fraud lawyer, even if you don’t think that you did anything wrong.

Sadly, there are many honest and highly credentialed professionals that have ended up being the subject of a criminal investigation. You should contact attorney James S. Bell as soon as possible if you believe that you might be the target of a health care fraud investigation. He will understand what is at stake for you and he also has the resources and knowledge at his disposal to protect you and your livelihood. Schedule you initial consultation by calling him at (855) 337-6836 or use the e-mail contact form.

Recently state and federal investigators have significantly increased their efforts at combating health care fraud. Attorney James S. Bell works alongside medical billing experts, medical professionals, and accountants in defending doctors and other health care providers who find themselves charged with fraud. James S. Bell has the experience and knowledge required to counter any investigation and also to question the credibility of the prosecution’s allegations should the case go to trial.

If you currently are under investigation or have been charged with committing health care fraud, contact health care fraud defense attorney James S. Bell today and schedule an appointment to discuss your case. He can be reached on 1 (800) 988-4498. James S. Bell counsels and represents doctors, dentists, psychologists, HMOs, and clinics charged with committing the following kinds of health care fraud:

  • Over billing
  • Upcoding
  • Unbundling
  • Double billing
  • Submitting a false invoice
  • HIPAA violations
  • Medicare and Medicaid Insurance Fraud

In order to determine if fraud has in fact occurred, investigators will often request billing records, financial statements, and information about patient care from the accused and their practice. Even if a doctor or medical equipment supplier hasn’t even committed fraud, in some cases, sloppy record-keeping or panic might have lead them to destroy records, invoices, or secure files somewhere away from the investigators.

Allegations or charges of health care fraud, waste, or abuse can and will have a negative effect on any medical or health care provider, including physicians, home health care agencies, nurses, ambulance companies, durable medical equipment companies etc

. He has an extensive experience and knowledge in health care fraud cases from his years of defending and representing health care providers and businesses.

In today’s health care world that is an extremely important distinction because the government has become very aggressive in its attempts to investigate fraud and recoup what it believes to be ‘overpayments’. The government oftentimes will escalate a case of civil health care fraud up to a criminal investigation. If this happens you need to be aware that there can be a fine line between a civil fraud case and a criminal fraud case and James S. Bell knows how to make that determination.

When attempting to prove that you or your company has committed fraud, James S. Bell understands that the burden of proof lies with the government. James S. Bell definitely understands that the government has the burden of establishing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. You can rest assured that James S. Bell will hold them to that burden.

James S. Bell represents and defends individuals and business organizations if they have been accused of any type fraud by the government, e.g. the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Health Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Texas Attorney General, or any Texas Professional Regulatory Boards, e.g. Texas Medical Board, Texas Dental Board, Texas Board of Nursing, Texas Board of Physical and Occupational Therapists, Texas Podiatry Board, Texas Chiropractic Board, in the following matters:

  • False claims
  • Over-billing
  • Rendering services deemed not medically necessary
  • Billing for services not rendered
  • Credentials and peer review issues
  • Medicaid and Medicare compliance
  • Provider reimbursement and payment issues
  • STARK Law and Anti-Kickback issues and review
  • Investigations by the Texas Medical Board and the Texas Dental Board
  • HIPAA Violations- Health & Human Services – Office of Civil Rights investigations
  • HIPAA compliance, medical records, and patient confidentiality
  • Corporate Compliance with all local, state, and federal rules and regulations
  • Recruitment agreements, employment contracts, non-compete agreements and confidentiality clauses
  • Employment issues
  • Contract Review
  • Pharmaceutical issues
  • Retention of medical records and completion of death certificates
  • Disputes with third-party insurers
  • Audit and fraud defense
  • Facility and office lease agreements
  • Representation before professional licensing boards such as:
    • Texas Nursing Board
    • Texas Pharmacy board
    • Texas Dental Board
    • Texas Medical Board
    • Texas Chiropractic Board
    • Similar boards

. James S. Bell prides himself on keeping on top of the very latest and critical information in the ever-changing and complex healthcare industry. With the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), businesses in the industry are facing a vast amount of new laws that they must be in compliance with or they face possible severe sanctions and/or prosecution. With this in mind, James S. Bell uses all the available resources to communicate this information and to promptly and efficiently provide the very best legal representation to his clients, be it in state or federal court, administrative courts or forums, or in appeals.

James S. Bell deals with any Medicare and Medicaid or private insurance companies coding and billing compliance issues. He will help you to respond to any fraud or compliance allegations against you from any state or federal government agencies or from any private insurance companies. He will attend any and all appearances and hearings, ensuring that his clients have the opportunity to be heard and to clear up any allegations made against them. He will also undertake in negotiations to reduce the amount his clients owe in fines or reimbursements for possible over-billing or over-payments. James S. Bell will personally handle all disciplinary and criminal matters so that each of his clients receives a vigorous defense against health care fraud allegations and charges.

He has an extensive experience and knowledge in health care fraud cases from his years of defending and representing health care providers and businesses. If this happens you need to be aware that there can be a fine line between a civil fraud case and a criminal fraud case and James S. Bell knows how to make that determination.

If you believe that you might be the target of a health care fraud investigation, you should contact us as soon as possible. If you currently are under investigation or have been charged with committing health care fraud, contact health care fraud defense attorney James S. Bell today and schedule an appointment to discuss your case. Allegations or charges of health care fraud, abuse, or waste can and will have a negative effect on any medical or health care provider, including physicians, home health care agencies, nurses, ambulance companies, durable medical equipment companies etc.