Atlanta Ambulance Fraud Attorney
Ambulance fraud is a hidden, rarely studied subcategory of health care fraud. Nevertheless, signs point that it is on the rise. Ambulances play a critical role in the delivery of health services. Virtually every county has an ambulance service, and emergency medical technicians provide crucial support to our community.
Nevertheless, ambulance fraud has the potential to siphon off medical dollars which should be spent on legitimate services. Ambulance companies obtain a windfall in profits because they improperly bill the government for services and/or enter into illegal contracts with government officials. If you have evidence of ambulance fraud, contact Stacey Evans Law today.
A Closer Look at Ambulance Fraud
Many people need an ambulance in an emergency. Others will need ambulance transportation to the hospital to receive treatment, such as patients needing dialysis. Often, these patients can take a wheelchair van to the hospital to receive dialysis. And Medicare will provide reimbursement where use of an ambulance is necessary.
Unfortunately, some ambulance companies will use an ambulance when a wheelchair van would have sufficed. They use the ambulance unnecessarily because Medicare provides higher reimbursements for the use of the ambulance. Thus, there is always a temptation to use the ambulance when a cheaper alternative (like a van) is available.
The same is often true with cancer patients who need transportation to the hospital for radiation therapy. Ambulance companies use an ambulance when an equally safe alternative method was available, which would have been cheaper. They use the ambulance because they are motivated by fraud.
Interestingly, the law requires that a physician certify an ambulance is medically necessary to transport a patient. But providers aren’t required to submit this certification. Consequently, many ambulance companies never even obtain it, or a doctor is in on the fraud.
Illegal Contracts
Ambulance companies procure contracts with local governments to provide services. However, these contracts sometimes run afoul of the prohibition on kickbacks.
For example, in Southern California, several ambulance companies provided deeply discounted services to facilities in exchange for the exclusive right to transport their Medicare patients. Transporting Medicare patients proved to be more lucrative, so the companies made more money with this arrangement. However, federal laws against kickbacks are designed to prohibit business arrangements which influence medical referrals, and these contracts clearly violated that law.
The False Claims Act & Ambulance Fraud
The U.S. Government aggressively roots out suspected fraud and takes legal action, both civil and criminal. However, the False Claims Act also allows private citizens to file suit on behalf of the government against those committing fraud. Consequently, the citizen receives a portion of the damages recovered.
If you have evidence of ambulance fraud, our attorneys want to speak to you. Blowing the whistle on illegal conduct is terrifying for many people. But we can help you bring a legal action under the False Claims Act and hold a fraudulent company accountable.
Speak with an Atlanta Ambulance Fraud Attorney
Our law firm is prepared to help anyone expose ambulance fraud and receive compensation for this public service. Call or send us a message to schedule a consultation.
