Reno Healthcare Attorneys

When healthcare providers, physicians, pharmacists, and other clients face allegations of healthcare fraud and medical malpractice claims in the Biggest Little City in the World, they rely on a skilled legal team to defend their rights. Whether facing an investigation, audit, or trial related to healthcare fraud in Reno, Nevada, Oberheiden P.C. is here to assist you. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing clients facing federal healthcare fraud allegations and medical malpractice lawsuit.

Being targeted in a federal healthcare fraud investigation significantly threatens your practice’s long-term stability and reputation. Federal agents and prosecutors throughout Reno work with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Office of Inspector General (OIG) to actively target providers in Reno and other parts of Nevada.

Penalties for healthcare fraud or medical malpractice claim can be stringent, including decades of federal imprisonment and thousands of dollars in fines. No matter your situation, you need to seek the guidance of an experienced Reno, Nevada, healthcare fraud defense team to protect your rights and interests. Contact Oberheiden P.C. today for a confidential consultation with a healthcare or medical malpractice lawyer to discuss your case and legal options.

What You Need to Know About Federal Healthcare Fraud Investigations

These investigations are slightly different than other types of criminal cases. Here are a few things to know.

Any Healthcare Provider Could Be Targeted

Federal healthcare fraud investigations pose a significant risk to healthcare providers. Generally, federal authorities identify and target providers who bill through Medicaid, Medicare, or Tricare for medical treatment. They will look to see if there are any billing data anomalies within these providers’ records. Remember that no provider is immune from being investigated, even if they have not engaged in fraud. For example, a provider who regularly bills Medicare for a specific service or supply may draw attention if other providers in Reno do not have similar billing patterns. While this does not necessarily indicate fraudulent activity, it can prompt a federal investigation.

Allegations Can Occur at Any Time

Healthcare fraud can take many forms. While intentional overbilling is a common type of fraud, unintentional billing violations can also lead to prosecution. The presence of intent, or lack thereof, is critical in determining whether a provider may face civil or criminal charges. However, it is not the deciding factor when it comes to federal penalties.

Federal healthcare fraud investigations can involve various allegations under different federal laws, including the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, and Stark Law. Some of these allegations may include:

• Billing and coding errors
• Kickbacks
• Physician self-referrals
• False insurance company claims
• Billing for medically unnecessary services or equipment
• Billing for services or equipment not provided
• Prescription drug fraud
• Falsifying patient records
• Fraudulent physician certifications
• Tax evasion

When facing a federal investigation, you need to determine the reason for the inquiry so that your legal team can build an effective defense strategy. An experienced Reno healthcare attorney can intervene in the investigation on your behalf to identify the nature and extent of the allegations against you. At Oberheiden P.C., our experienced attorneys can represent you in all matters related to federal healthcare fraud allegations. Contact us for a confidential consultation.

The Government Does Not Always Target the Right Party

Healthcare fraud investigations can be misguided, and despite costing the federal government billions of dollars, they can target legitimate health care providers. If you are a provider targeted in a federal investigation, you will want to quickly identify the source of the government’s misinformation and gather the necessary evidence to close the case promptly. However, ensuring your billings can withstand scrutiny is important due to the wide range of healthcare laws. With unintentional mistakes carrying severe consequences, providers need to conduct thorough internal assessments to determine the scope of potential exposure.

The penalties for healthcare fraud can be severe in civil and criminal cases. Civil and criminal violations can result in significant financial penalties, and criminal investigations may lead to long-term imprisonment. Other potential consequences of a federal healthcare fraud investigation include the following:

• Exclusion from health insurance benefits like Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, and DOL
• Fees and costs
• Loss of DEA registration
• Recoupments
• State board licensing action
• Treble damages
• Pre-payment review
• Denial of pending health insurance company claims

While the potential penalties are significant, the outcome of an investigation depends on the severity of the allegations, the nature of the investigation, and the strength of the provider’s defense. Our Reno healthcare attorneys have helped clients avoid charges and penalties, negotiate plea deals and dismissals, and mitigate sentences through strategic trial representation.

You Need an Aggressive Defense Strategy

Even if you have done nothing wrong, an aggressive defense strategy is still necessary to avoid federal charges. Often, that means taking action early in the investigative process and using the information gathered during an internal assessment to respond appropriately. At Oberheiden P.C., our healthcare fraud defense attorneys and Reno medical malpractice lawyers have a wealth of experience defending healthcare providers against allegations of fraud and other violations.

Our attorneys have extensive experience on both sides of federal healthcare fraud and medical malpractice cases, including prosecuting cases on behalf of the government. We will provide you with a unique perspective and insight into how the government builds its cases against providers. Using this knowledge and experience, we can develop comprehensive defense strategies tailored specifically to the facts and allegations involved in your case.

By intervening early in the investigative process and building a strong defense strategy, we can often prevent charges from being filed in the first place. In cases where charges have already been filed, our Reno medical malpractice lawyer and healthcare defense fraud lawyer have a proven track record of negotiating favorable plea deals, obtaining dismissals prior to trial, and using strategic trial representation to substantially mitigate our clients’ sentences in court.

We have represented many professionals in the healthcare industry, including:

• Dentists
• Testing laboratories
• Durable medical equipment (DME) companies
• Company owners, board members, and executives
• Specialists
• Pharmacists
• Compounding pharmacists
• Hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities
• Physician groups
• Physicians

An aggressive defense strategy is key to avoiding federal charges and protecting your livelihood as medical professionals. If you are facing a federal healthcare fraud or medical negligence investigation or have been charged with a healthcare-related offense, contact the experienced Reno healthcare attorneys at Oberheiden P.C. for a free and confidential consultation.

Put our highly experienced team on your side

Dr. Nick Oberheiden

Founder

Attorney-at-Law

Lynette S. Byrd

Former DOJ Trial Attorney

Partner

Brian J. Kuester

Former U.S. Attorney

Hon. Kevin McCarthy

55th Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives (ret.)

Government Consultant

Mike Pompeo

Of Counsel

Former U.S. Secretary of State

John W. Sellers

Former Senior DOJ Trial Attorney

Linda Julin McNamara

Federal Appeals Attorney

Nicholas B. Johnson

Former Prosecutor

Roger Bach

Former Special Agent (DOJ)

Chris J. Quick

Former Special Agent (FBI & IRS-CI)

Michael S. Koslow

Former Supervisory Special Agent (DOD-OIG)

Ray Yuen

Former Supervisory Special Agent (FBI)

Federal Healthcare Fraud Defense Lawyers at Oberheiden, P.C. Answer Your Questions