Contra Costa County Healthcare Fraud Lawyer

STARK LAW PITFALLS & IN HOUSE STARK EXCEPTIONS

Another puzzle.  Various websites and local groups encourage cross-referrals between local businesses.  That’s fine between an attorney and a stationary store, but what if you are a physician and you agree to cross referrals with a particular MRI facility ?  We are not aware of any prosecutions based upon this type of referral, but the possibility is there and are tracking the law on this subject.

And what do you do when you want to sell urinary catheters, back braces, skin cream or provide in house massage, in house physical therapy and other "in house ancillary services?   Click the button below to learn some of the critical exceptions to the Stark Law Prohibitions.

STARK LAW Ancillary Services Exception

Computers Used to Track Medical Billing (Fraud?)

The Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law published an article in 2009 titled “Health Care Fraud: Physicians as White Collar Criminals.

In 2008, the Journal of Healthcare Information Management published an article detailing how billing tracking by computer (via the National Health Information Network, was a new tool to uncover fraud. <<Read IT Fraud Article Abstract>>   Many years later, billing tracking by computer has led to increase in investigations and a focus on computer identifiable fraud as the focus of physician based, criminal investigations.-

The SIU units often focus on the higher end billing codes e.g. 99215, 99245.  Even though they claim to apply the AMA CPT code rules for their review, they DO NOT.  The insurance company’s presume that a 99215 or 99245 actually took 40 minutes / 80 minutes (respectively).  The CPT codes require levels of complexity and the time component is an alternative.  However, the insurers find suspect visits that do not include a time documentation as well.

HEALTH CARE CRIMES & PROBLEM AREAS FOR BILLING FRAUD

The list seems endless.  Here are more state and federal health fraud laws and some common “hot button” areas for medical practices.

 1. California Penal Code Section 550  (Similar as a “catch-all” to 18 USC 1347, the Federal Health Care Fraud statute)

In California, Penal Code section 550 is used as a catch-all provision for health fraud by physicians, providers of ancillary services and even attorneys representing injured workers.

(a) It is unlawful to do any of the following, or to aid, abet, solicit, or conspire with any person to do any of the following:

Medical judgments will be questioned. Poor SOAP notes, lack of photos documenting the diagnosis, angry fired staff – can all cause an avalanche of misery for even an honest practitioner.  Here is one clue.  Does your practice on average, bill higher per patient ?  Does your practice utilize a certain profitable procedure, cost saving delegation of tasks, more than a typical practice of your type ?

6. Big Pharma is the New Boogeyman

Everyone knows that drug companies are evil and are ripping off the public.  Or so that meme “informs” public opinion.

So, how does that impact an honest medical practitioner ?  Not much if you simply prescribe.  But if you engage with and interact with pharmaceutical companies, you may get some scrutiny.

Is a pharmaceutical or device company giving your consulting or speaking fees ?  Great !  ….. but is there a connection between those fees and your use of their products ?  Check out this website “Dollars for Docs” that tracks drug company payments to MD’s.  There is no similar website (that we know of), that tracks payments by herbal remedy companies or homeopathic (we are only selling placebo water !) companies.   In Dan Horowitz’ opinion, you are safer promoting “natural”, “herbal remedies”, than you are promoting medications that are double blind tested and subject to rigorous testing.  It is a strange time to be an evidence based physician.

The dividing line between your being a valuable consultant and being paid off is not always clear.  For organized confusion read the OIG Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.  Federal Register 
7. Obvious Red Flags

Some red flags are obvious.  SIU healthcare fraud investigations often follow complaints by vengeful employees or patients.  Many SIU investigators rely upon reviews of spreadsheets or complex computer fraud models.

Grey areas of practice like in office physical therapy (PT) and use of laser in treatments and procedures, as well as delegation of work to nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), aestheticians, are all potential SIU fraud triggers.  If you have a feeling that your bills are being handled more slowly, that strange patients are presenting with peculiar symptoms, if you recently fired a staff person …. be wary.  The vague parameters of the Chiropractic Initiative Act make scope of practice determinations very subjective.  The use of low frequency sound waves may be outside the scope of chiropractic but high frequency sound may be within the scope.

Your Arrest May Help A Politician

Remember that Medicare billing fraud is the focus of many federal investigations.  Workers compensation fraud is a major focus of many state insurance commissioners.  In California the catch all fraud provision (Penal Code Section 550) is  sometimes used to bootstrap misdemeanor offenses into felony fraud charges.  Fraud defense lawyers know that politics drive medical fraud prosecutions.  Many practices have grey areas and if your “grey” is in the political cross hairs, be cautious.

They Follow Your Money – We Can Follow Their Money

Insurance companies provide funding to prosecutors. Special taxes on employers also support fraud investigations. This means there is a financial and emotional incentive for fraud prosecutors to file charges. The insurance companies become “crime fighting” partners to the district attorney white collar crime units. Medical practice management has many grey areas. Few white collar prosecutors have sufficient medical/medical billing/delegation of medical duty background to accurately assess the legitimacy of your conduct.

Many seminars are funded by insurance companies and some local prosecutors are “honored” with the opportunity to speak at those seminars to promote their careers.   Prosecutorial objectivity is often compromised.

BIG PROFITS – False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. 3729 (FCA)

The False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. 3729 (FCA), is a federal civil fraud statute. The FCA allows healthcare fraud, medicare fraud, and false claim lawsuits to be filed by professional litigators, disgruntled former employees and others.  They are called “relators” and they sue on behalf of a “defrauded” governmental entity.   The incentive is a percentage of the final recovery.

The government can also file its own civil fraud claim.    

Many times, a criminal case will follow shortly after the filing of one of these cases.  Sometimes the False Claims Act filing with be parasitic and follow the filing of criminal charges.  This is yet another expense that burdens a defendant.  Fortunately, some insurance policies will defend against these claims.

A Legal Type of Corruption

Former Law Enforcement Agents Work for Insurance Companies

Insurance companies often hire former law enforcement agents who are experienced in developing criminal fraud cases.  Their years of establishing contacts within prosecutors offices give them inside / personal connections that put their investigative target (you), at a disadvantage. Watch a California Dept. of Insurance SIU Training video HERE.

Insurance Company Lawyers Teach Prosecutors the Law

Seminars, in house training, and political lobbying are tools that change prosecutors’   INTERPRETATION of the law.  There is no back and forth dialogue, there is only Iago whispering in Othello’s ear.

Professional boards such as medical boards, can and often will, provide guidance on contested issues.  They can weigh in on unfair prosecutions and provide support.  Unfortunately the boards are over worked, over politicized, and often leave the issue “to the courts”.

Shock & Awe

Set Your Alarm for 6:30 am

Police raids at 7 in the morning are videotaped by invited television news teams.

Press conferences are held by the Department of Insurance while the physician sits in jail waiting to be booked.  By the time the physician has been released on bail, significant personal and reputational damage has been done.  So much for innocent until proven guilty.

Blue Skies

 Massive news publicity is part of the attack. California Insurance Code Section 1871.9 mandates the posting to the Department of Insurance’s public web site the names of people convicted of Worker’s Compensation Insurance Fraud. The “Blue Sky” scenario is no longer just part of the insurance company game plan.  Insurance lobby groups have succeeded in getting the publicity law passed.  Guilty until proven innocent is now written into the law.

As one of our experts once testified, it’s all about “blue skies”.  Once they arrest you, the insurance companies have already won. Word spreads in the medical community and physicians become very cautious – they run from the rain to the “blue sky”.  99244’s get billed as 99243.  Your arrest saves the insurance companies millions of dollars.  When you are an attorney providing medical license defense you understand the political forces that drive prosecutions.

 CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR THOSE WRONGFULLY ACCUSED

If you are reading this far down the page, you have entered the medical practice Twilight Zone.  Here are additional, harsh realities.

Professional License Defense is a Bar Room Brawl

Judge Tom Rogers (Alameda County) once said, “A jury trial is a bar room brawl.”   The same is true of medical license defense.   Civility is fine in the legal profession but only when it comes from a place of strength.

Trial By Jury ??

If you are facing a professional board accusation you never see a jury.    Your license, your career,  are in the hands of an experienced Administrative Law Judge [View OAH Website for Admin Law Judges]  The judge handles this type of case, over and over and over ……… .  In other words, they tend to know all the players, prosecutors, experts and it is a small community.

Could it get any worse ?   Yes it can !  If the ALJ rules in your favor, you still haven’t won.  The medical board that initiated the action against you, gets the final say.

Click HERE to get a brief bio for your Administrative Law Judge.

The Laws are Vague

The anti-fraud laws seem clear.  Don’t commit fraud.  Don’t submit false billings !  Don’t bill for services that you didn’t perform ! What could be easier ?

You’re honest, so you have no worries …………………………..?      Right ?

Maybe.  If you regularly bill 99241-99245, you know that it is not always clear which code applies.  If you consistently bill the grey areas in “your favor”, your computer score may be “skewed”.  The little “UPCODING” / “BILLING FRAUD” light goes on in SIU Headquarters.  You may not be upcoding but to the computer, all doctors of your type or class, are the same.

Geographic issues come into play.  If you are in a high quality of care community, you may make more specialist referrals, order more tests and spot more problems than if you are understaffed and lack quality diagnostic equipment. You may be seen to be over utilizing and hence over billing.    On the other hand, in an underserved area that lacks resources, a physician may compensate by spending more time with patients.  Simple visits may genuinely justify a high billing code.  But the computer may flag you for upcoding.  If you are rushed and your clinical documentation is “light”, you may have trouble defending your legitimate billings.

Areas such as Los Angeles have their own billing fraud focus.   Investigators focus on cosmetic treatments hiding as medical treatments. That happens a lot but the insurance company investigative net is wide and at times, indiscriminate.  Honest practitioners can get caught the same way Dolphins end up in Tuna nets.

COUNTER INTELLIGENCE – Danger Areas for Healthcare

Check fraud seminar websites. (Use words like, “health care fraud” or “medical billing fraud”) The lectures are road maps to “Hot Button” issues.

Currently, dermatologists are being looked at for the use of office staff to perform certain procedures. SOAP notes are viewed for “up diagnosing” to justify unnecessary (e.g. laser) treatments.   Billing codes that require EITHER complex reasoning or 80 minutes of face to face time are misinterpreted as being valid codes ONLY if an actual 80 minutes are spent.

More generically, criminal fraud investigators are focusing on:

• Misdiagnosis in order to bill for services not medically necessary.
• Billing for services not actually provided.
• Billing for one service (covered) when an uncovered service is provided.
• Billing on days when a patient is not present.
• Unbundling especially when combined with deceptive billing.
• Excessive treatment especially with poor clinical documentation.