MAUI TRAGEDY: For over 40 years, Davis Levin Livingston has represented our friends and neighbors on all the islands and they will be there for you in this hour of tragedy. Click here for more information.

Skip to Content
Top
  • Inner Circle 7
  • Best Law Firms 1
  • Best Law Firms 2
  • 500 Law Dragon
  • Best Lawyers 2022
  • Super Lawyers
  • Best Lawyers Year 2022
  • International Academy
  • Honolulu Mag
  • National Law Journal
  • American College Trial Lawyers
  • AV Preeminent
  • American Assoc for Justice
/

HAWAII HEALTH CARE FRAUD ATTORNEYS

HANDLING A BROAD RANGE OF FRAUDULENT HEALTH CARE-RELATED MATTERS

Health care fraud, a form of white-collar crime, costs the U.S. government and taxpayers billions of dollars each year. This common type of fraud typically involves the filing of false medical claims. It increases costs for medical providers and patients and it harms the long-term viability of programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

If you have knowledge of health care fraud, contact Davis Levin Livingston to discuss your situation with an experienced Hawaii health care fraud attorney. We are based in Honolulu and serve clients throughout Oahu and on all the Hawaiian Islands.

Get in touch with our firm online or by calling (808) 740-0633. Your initial consultation is entirely free and confidential. 

Types of Health Care Fraud Cases We Handle

The experienced attorneys of Davis Levin Livingston work with health care fraud cases in a number of areas, including:

  • Medical equipment fraud, involving charges for unneeded products
  • Services not performed, including billing of insurers for medical services that were not rendered
  • Use of unlicensed medical staff to treat patients
  • Medicare fraud, which frequently targets senior citizens—for example, seniors may be offered free medical products if they provide their Medicare numbers; con artists may forge signatures to bill Medicare and never deliver the promised merchandise
  • Billing for non-covered services as covered services
  • “Rolling lab” schemes, in which individuals are given unnecessary tests that are billed to Medicare or private insurance companies
  • Prescription medicines obtained illegally and sold on the black market for a profit
  • Loaning out or using someone else’s health insurance card
  • Filing of duplicate insurance claims for the same service
  • Illegally altering medical records
  • Provision of false information when applying for medical programs or services

How Health Care Fraud Is Committed

Criminals use a number of methods for illegally gaining use of patients’ insurance information. They may entice patients—with money or gifts—to visit a specific location, such as a clinic, where medical information is gathered. In some cases, they collect information at health fairs from individuals who participate in free health screenings. They sometimes persuade health care workers to copy patient information for use in fraud schemes, and they may purchase information from others involved in fraud.

Consumers should be aware of the potential for fraud when dealing with health care providers online and in their local areas.

Costs of Health Care Fraud

Medical fraud presents a growing threat in the United States, as the FBI notes, and uncovering it is critical for the health of the national economy and individual citizens. With expenditures exceeding $3 trillion annually and outpacing inflation, the medical field serves as an attractive target for criminals.

Federal officials estimate the costs of health care fraud at about $80 billion annually, with most being passed on to consumers in the form of higher insurance premiums and higher costs for medical services.

Consumers Can Protect Themselves

To guard against potential fraud, consumers should always review their “explanation of benefits” forms they receive in the mail from insurance companies. The forms provide details of services and medical supplies provided in a patient’s treatment. Patients who suspect improper billing should contact their insurance company and should consult an experienced health care fraud attorney if they suspect illegal activity.

In addition, consumers should take the following steps to protect themselves from fraudulent activity:

  • Guard insurance cards and the information they contain. Only give insurance information to valid medical providers, and be especially cautious if free services are provided in exchange for the information or if offers are made by telemarketers.
  • Check carefully when receiving medical equipment or supplies to ensure that the items delivered match what was ordered.
  • Do not give a medical provider blanket authorization to bill for any services received.
  • Take note of surroundings in medical facilities, and be wary if typical medical equipment and information-gathering procedures are absent.
  • Don’t accept unnecessary gifts—including equipment or products—from visiting health care providers.
  • Do not sign blank insurance forms.
  • Ask medical providers for information about total and out-of-pocket charges.
  • Keep records of any appointments with health care providers.
  • Be aware if your doctor has ordered medical equipment on your behalf.

Contact Experienced Health Care Attorneys

When health care fraud occurs, consumers bear the brunt of the cost. In fact, experts estimate that 10 cents of every dollar spent on medical care pays for fraudulent claims. Prosecution of health care providers engaged in fraud can result in serious consequences, including steep fines, possible incarceration, and loss of medical licenses.

If you believe you may have been the victim of health care fraud, including improper use of your medical insurance credentials or illegal billing of your insurance company, contact the experienced Hawaii health care fraud attorneys at Davis Levin Livingston for immediate assistance.

Call the firm at (808) 740-0633 today for a no-cost consultation. 

Four Decades of Record Breaking Victories

  • $104,000,000 Child Sex Abuse

    We're proud to have secured a landmark $104 million settlement for victims of abuse against Kamehameha School. This ground-breaking case marks a significant victory for the victims, with the school agreeing to settle.

  • $29,400,000 Medical Malpractice

    Physicians at Tripler Army Medical Center failed to order a crucial test that would have detected a twisted gut in a 1-month-old baby, resulting in the loss of 95% of the baby's small intestine and leading to lifelong disability.

  • $15,400,000 Wrongful Death

    The state has agreed to a $15.4 million settlement in a civil lawsuit filed by the families of two hikers who fell to their deaths on a Kauai hiking trail in 2006.

  • $15,000,000 Vacuum/Forceps Injury

    The hospital improperly attempted to deliver a post-date baby using a traumatic second-stage vacuum extraction. This extraction and the delay in delivery resulted in permanent brain damage to the baby.

  • $9,975,000 Brain Injury

    The hospital's failure to monitor an infant's rising bilirubin levels led to bilirubin encephalopathy and kernicterus, resulting in severe and permanent brain damage. A settlement of $9,975,000 was obtained.

  • $9,500,000 Medical Malpractice

    Surgeons at Tripler Army Medical Center reattached the small intestine backward during gastric bypass surgery, leading to complications that ultimately resulted in the death of a 31-year-old Army wife and mother of three.

Why Davis Levin Livingston?

  • Available by phone 24/7 & ready to help.
  • Secured tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients.
  • Highest malpractice judgment in U.S. history against a military hospital.
  • Includes an experienced medical team including a nursing staff to answer your questions.
  • Mark Davis and Mike Livingston have been recognized as some of the best lawyers in Hawaii.
  • Resources available to advance your expenses; no cost or fees unless Davis Levin Livingston wins your case.

Dedicated Legal Counsel You Can Count On

Helping Families throughout hawaii for over 40 years
  • "Professional, KIND, and understanding"
    They are most professional, KIND, and understanding. Thank you Matt Winter for all your help.
    - Clare T.
  • "We wouldn't have chosen any other team!"
    Mathew Winter and the whole staff of Davis Levin Livingston guided us every step of the way and made sure we understood everything that was going on. They were always so welcoming and compassionate. Communication was never a problem and emails were answered super fast, especially when we had so many questions. They
    - Maariel
  • "The absolute best firm in Hawaii. Compassion and professionalism at its best!"
    Truly a wonderful experience with everyone at the firm. I can't thank you enough for helping provide closure for my family and me during this process. The absolute best firm in Hawaii. Compassion and professionalism at its best!
    - Daniel
  • "After doing extensive research I knew that Davis Levin Livingston was the firm for me due to the success they have had in cases like mine."
    After doing extensive research I knew that Davis Levin Livingston was the firm for me due to the success they have had in cases like mine. What surprised me was their personal touch. In the 3
    - Anthony
/