Medicaid Fraud Lawyer In NYC
When you are the target of a Medicaid fraud investigation in New York, NY, you may be at a loss on what to do and where to seek help. The worst thing you can do is try to fix the situation yourself. If you are fortunate enough to put some thought into the matter and realize you need to seek legal representation for healthcare fraud or Medicaid fraud, you’ll probably do a quick Internet search to look for the best “New York Medicaid fraud lawyer” or “Medicaid fraud attorney in New York.” This is when it gets tricky. You will see that there are so many choices for an experienced attorney in New York City. How do you know which NYC Medicaid fraud attorney or law office is the best for you? Do you even need to speak with Medicaid fraud attorneys, or will any kind of lawyer do?
What you don’t know can hurt you when it comes to Medicaid fraud cases. It is important to handle any interactions with Medicaid fraud investigation agents just as you would a criminal complaint, criminal investigation, or an arrest. Many people investigated for Medicaid fraud don’t realize how stiff the possible penalties can be. The legal consequences of Medicaid fraud for medical professionals, Medicaid providers, and healthcare providers can range from huge fines or loss of licensure to the prohibition of accepting Medicaid payments or even a felony conviction. Recipients accused of Medicaid fraud and become the target of a Medicaid fraud investigation case can face criminal prosecution and repayment of hefty sums of money to the federal government. It’s so easy to say the wrong thing in a fraud interview, especially when you’re under pressure and probably are innocent of committing Medicaid fraud. It is important to remember that Medicaid fraud investigation agents are trained to get the information they need, whether or not they are supposed to follow interrogatory rules. They are allowed a tremendous amount of latitude to elicit the responses that they are seeking.
Norman Spencer Law Group PC is a leading NYC Medicaid fraud attorney law office representing New York City residents in a fraud investigation into Medicaid, Family Health Plus program, public assistance, or Food Stamps fraud conducted by the NYC HRA (Human Resources Administration), as well as in subsequent criminal defense proceedings if the need arises. With probably the busiest recipient Medicaid fraud practice in New York City and NY state and hundreds of successfully resolved Medicaid fraud cases behind our back, we have all the experience required to help you.
Medicaid Fraud Investigations in NYC
To receive Medicaid services or Medicaid benefits or to qualify for Food Stamps programs, applicants must meet certain criteria, of which the most important is household income requirements. Intentionally providing false details on the application is a crime and can lead to criminal charges. The federal government tries hard to eliminate Medicaid fraud and health care fraud to keep Medicaid costs down. However, despite the good intentions and complex healthcare regulations, sometimes Federal Bureau officials target innocent people. In this situation, to prove the person’s innocence or minimize penalties, it is crucial to hire an experienced Medicaid fraud attorney.
In New York City, investigations into most alleged Medicaid fraud cases committed by recipients are conducted by the Department of Social Services Bureau of Fraud Investigations (BFI). They typically start when the government finds out about unreported income or thinks that the income of a Medicaid beneficiary receiving Medicaid benefits is suspiciously low. It may also happen if the HRA finds some discrepancies between its records and those of the Department of Labor. However, this is not when the targeted person finds out that he or she is under fraud investigation in a Medicaid fraud case. Before that, the Medicaid fraud investigators contact the person’s employer to verify their wages and employment dates, obtain information about bank accounts, cash bank deposits, and mortgage payments, and find out who lives with the targeted person. After that, the agents send the person an NYC HRA investigation letter asking them to come to an interview and bring documents in a few fraud investigation appointments. The NYC HRA only needs proof of the information it already has collected at this point.
However, not everything is lost. The first thing the investigated person needs to know is that he or she is not obliged by law to appear at the interview. Otherwise, he or she risks making statements that may incriminate him or her even further. Instead, he or she should contact an experienced Medicaid fraud attorney who will take on the Medicaid fraud investigation case and handle all communication with the officials properly. This is the benefit of an attorney-client relationship. Having an NYC Medicaid fraud attorney represent you can sometimes make a tremendous difference in the case’s outcome and can often result in any charges being dropped, criminal prosecution or a civil lawsuit avoided, or a compromise being reached.
Ask Help from Our Medicaid Fraud Lawyers!
If they prove you have committed health care fraud or Medicaid fraud, you’ll have to repay all the money Medicaid spent on your health plan and medical health insurance that you were not entitled to. This can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars. However, this is the best-case scenario. At worst, the case may be passed to the District Attorney’s Office. Then you can be subject to criminal penalties, which means a permanent criminal record, possible jail time, felony convictions, and enormous fines. Whether innocent or not, having an NYC Medicaid fraud attorney can help lessen penalties or be the deciding factor in proving one’s innocence.
There are hundreds of Medicaid fraud lawyers in New York, NY. When wondering how to choose a Medicaid fraud attorney in NYC who is best equipped to handle your Medicaid fraud investigation case, search for the Medicare and Medicaid fraud attorney with experience in handling your specific type of situation.
Turn to Norman Spencer Law Group for Help!
Norman Spencer Law Group PC has a strong team of Medicaid fraud lawyers. They have efficiently resolved over 750 BFI investigations, in most cases managing to either dismiss the Medicaid fraud or health care fraud case or reach an administrative settlement with no criminal charges applied.
We also defended multiple fraud investigation cases passed to the District Attorney. In most of these Medicaid fraud cases, we convinced prosecutors not to make arrests and pass the cases back to the NYC HRA for a civil settlement. In other cases, we dramatically reduced the client’s criminal liability and protected them from deportation, licensing, and other consequences.
Contact us today at the first sign of a Medicaid fraud investigation!