If you have been charged with fraud, you need an attorney who is proficient in federal drug law. Trust our experience: these are serious charges that require active and immediate attention. Call us at 713.622.8333 today.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by Congress to create a national standard for protecting the privacy of patients' personal health information. The law requires healthcare entities that use electronic means to process transactions, which include health information, to use standardized forms and a universal code system for illnesses and treatments. The regulation also requires safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of an individual's protected health information.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) established the national Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program (HCFAC).  Under the joint direction of the Attorney General and HHS (acting through HHS' Office of Inspector General), the HCFAC program is designed to coordinate Federal, State and local law enforcement activities concerning health care fraud and abuse. 

HIPAA calls for civil and criminal penalties for privacy and security violations, including: -- fines up to $25K for multiple violations of the same standard in a calendar year - fines up to $250K and/or imprisonment up to 10 years for knowing misuse of individually identifiable health information.

Deliberately breaking HIPAA's rules could undermine member trust and could place staff and the organization at risk for penalties under HIPAA as well as other laws.

• HIPAA allows both civil and criminal penalties, including fines and possible time in jail.
• The Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services enforces civil violations, and the Department of Justice enforces criminal violations of the HIPAA Standards.
• Civil penalties are usually monetary fines. HIPAA allows fines of up to $100 for each violation of the law, to a limit of $25,000 per year for violations of the same requirement.
• Criminal sanctions for knowing misuse or disclosures of PHI carry fines of $50,000 to $250,000 and one to ten years imprisonment.

The federal government is vigilant in trying to catch institutions trying to bill for services not rendered, creating fraudulent cost reports, making kickbacks or self-referrals, etc. They frequently assemble thorough, well-researched health care fraud cases. You need an attorney with a proven record of success defeating federal charges.

If you believe you may be under federal investigation for a Healthcare Fraud Case, it is critical that you hire a qualified criminal defense attorney right away. Do not risk having your rights violated by neglecting to retain a skilled, experienced criminal defense attorney.
The Houston, Texas law office of Kuniansky & Associates will work diligently to ensure your rights are protected.

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