Healthcare Whistleblower Claims Attorneys
Any healthcare practitioner needs to comply with commercial insurer regulations to receive reimbursement for any services they provide. These also include federal laws, violations that can result in Medicaid or Medicare exclusion, fees, the potential loss of your license, and even prison time in more severe cases. As a result, it’s essential that any individual involved in healthcare whistleblower claims to secure the services of a firm specializing in federal investigations and healthcare fraud defense. The Norman Spencer Law Group, PC is just such a firm.
Healthcare fraud rates are staggering, leading to a dramatic increase in the number of healthcare whistleblower cases. The vast majority of these cases stem from managed care providers, laboratories, hospices, and pharmacies.
How Are These Illegal Actions Detected?
When it comes to healthcare whistleblower claims (and healthcare fraud in a more broad sense), government investigators tend to conduct healthcare audits to detect any anomalies. Along with these routine and targeted healthcare audits, an employee of a healthcare provider can also act as a whistleblower in healthcare fraud cases, leading to an investigation of their employer.
Incentives of Filing Whistleblower Claims
Besides the obvious of doing the right and legal thing, there are specific incentives that the government provides for those who might be able to bring instances of healthcare fraud to light. For example, any whistleblower giving information leading to either a judgment or settlement can earn up to 30% of that settlement. As such, it’s not at all uncommon for whistleblowers to step up and do the right thing.
How Do These Claims Work?
The False Claims Act is the most pertinent law when it comes to healthcare whistleblower claims. Since it was amended in 1986, it has become a fee-for-service type of law. Whistleblowers went from being entitled to little or no money for their actions to the potential for making a substantial sum of money by cooperating with the government.
As you might imagine, the number of healthcare fraud cases skyrocketed after this happened, leading to a dramatic increase in both cases and convictions, with numbers on the rise even today.
Types of Actions Related to Healthcare Fraud and Whistleblower Claims
There are several actions related to healthcare fraud, but some of the most common ones include:
- Improper registry agreements
- Schemes to sell specialized equipment designed for drug addiction or cancer treatment
- Fraudulently billing any government agency
- Overbilling, or any billing for procedures that were never actually done
- Any violation of Stark Laws, false claims, and related cases
Requirements of Whistleblower Claims Cases
Believe it or not, the requirements for who can bring up one of these cases in court are pretty loose. Any private individual who knows either a false claim that has been made or another form of Medicare fraud can bring an action in court.
This includes individuals who work for the healthcare provider or any public member who has information related to the fraud. An individual who brings such an action is what is known as a relator. This relator is essentially a proxy party standing in for the federal government in such a case.
Seek Out an Experienced Law Firm
Suppose you are involved or could be involved in a healthcare whistleblower claim. In that case, the first thing you’ll want to do is secure the services of a firm that specializes in federal (government) investigations and healthcare fraud defense. They will be able to collect and analyze all information that you give them, building a successful case for you along the way.
Anyone involved in a healthcare fraud case or healthcare whistleblower claim must get in touch with an experienced attorney as soon as possible so that all of their legal options remain on the table. Whether you are a relator trying to secure that amount of up to 30% of an eventual judgment or settlement or are, in fact, part of a healthcare practice currently being investigated for healthcare fraud, you will need a firm that has experience in both areas.
Whistleblower Claims Cases Attorneys
The Norman Spencer Law Group has a combined 70 years of experience handling cases of nearly every size and type, and complexity is not an issue for our attorneys either. Not only do we have a proven track record of success, but we have extensive experience at both the state and federal levels. At Norman Spencer, we believe that everyone deserves 1:1 service, which starts right at the beginning for us. We have various accessibility options, including remote legal consultations that we can host for you via Zoom, Skype, and Google Duo. On top of that, we can get a representative out to you if needed, no matter where you might be in the country.
Norman Spencer Law Group, PC specializes in federal (government) investigations and healthcare fraud defense. The significant part here is that when it comes to healthcare whistleblower claims, individuals don’t have to pay but will receive a share of any successful litigation or settlement proceeds. So if you’re interested in pursuing a healthcare whistleblower claim, get in touch with us as soon as possible. Someone from our team will be in contact and get you the help you need.