Understanding Fraudulent Medical Billing Minnesota: Key Risks
As a medical professional, understanding the laws surrounding fraudulent medical billing Minnesota is crucial to safeguarding your career. Allegations of submitting false claims for Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement under the False Claims Act (FCA) can lead to severe penalties, including imprisonment, substantial fines, and the loss of your medical license.
If you are accused of violating the FCA, the potential consequences you could face include fines up to an amount three times greater than the programs’ loss, imprisonment and additional $11,000 penalties for each claim filed.
Recent convictions in Minnesota
In the state’s largest Medicaid fraud case, two Minneapolis women were recently convicted of swindling the program out of $7.7 million. While the federally funded program is meant to assist people with disabilities, the women set up illegal agencies and allegedly took advantage of those who are especially vulnerable to abuse.
Matters involved in the case included:
- Billing for services that people did not receive
- Using identities of nonresidents
- Check-splitting agreements
- Kickbacks
The women were each found guilty of eight counts of aiding and abetting theft and one count of racketeering.
The FCA protects the government – use it to protect yourself as well
Allegations of violating state and federal health care laws could result in losing your medical license and could cost you your freedom. Bearing in mind the amount of time, money and effort you invested into your career, you might be wise to carefully consider your billing practices, so you do not put your future at risk.