If you file a false claim and receive money from your patients in Pennsylvania, you may face serious legal trouble. Your familiarity with the types of false claims may help you prevent questionable behavior in regards to your billing practices.
Your effort to streamline your billing procedures and document your methods may provide you with support against potential lawsuits if patients claim they received an unfair or wrongful charge.
False Claims Act
The False Claims Act, according to Advancing the Business of Healthcare, warns you against the fraudulent collection of money from your patients. In fact, such behavior is punishable by fines in excess of $10,000 depending on the severity of your charges.
Some of the types of false claims you should avoid include the following:
- Billing your patients twice for a single service, also known as double billing
- Upcoding treatment costs, but not returning overpayments
- Billing for ghost services which your patients never received
- Performing unnecessary procedures to collect money
Protect your license
Because false claims may jeopardize your licensure you will benefit from making the effort to practice transparency and integrity when billing your patients. Thoroughly research best practices for efficient, fair and informational billing procedures and ask your patients for feedback.
If facing accusations of misconduct, you may find support and security with the help of a reliable legal professional. Staying cordial and objective throughout your legal proceedings may help you to maintain your reputation, preserve your license, and ultimately save your career. If you need to address the accusations against you, do so with confidence and refrain from oversharing details.
