Medicaid is the federal program that provides health insurance to the poor. Though it is a federal program, Medicaid is actually administered by the states. Like any government program, Medicaid has issues with fraud. Many instances of Medicaid fraud are intentional, while others are caused by mistakes made either by the government or the individual receiving benefits. In cases of Medicaid fraud, the government is likely to seek restitution and may even seek criminal charges. If you are facing Medicaid fraud allegations, you need to find an attorney who has experience working with Medicaid fraud.
Intentional fraud
Intentional Medicaid fraud occurs when a person fraudulently seeks out the benefits or intentionally receives benefits for which he or she knows she does not qualify. There are a variety of ways to commit Medicaid fraud intentionally. A person might lie about income or family status. Another way is to receive benefits that are supposed to go to someone else. In such cases, the government is likely to take a hard line and pursue charges in addition to seeking restitution, so it is important to have a competent medicaid fraud lawyer working with you to work out a deal and minimize consequences.
Unintentional fraud
It’s also possible to commit Medicaid fraud unintentionally. This usually happens when someone who previously qualified for Medicaid has a life change that disqualifies them, and they don’t realize it. For example, a new job or promotion that leads to higher pay could bump a person out of the range of eligibility for Medicaid. A person might also have a child reach adulthood or lose custody of a child, which are both things that could eliminate eligibility. In these cases, the government usually wants restitution and will not pursue charges, but it still is important to work with a lawyer.
Medicaid Fraud Lawyer 