Fort Lauderdale Medicare fraud lawyer Robert Malove comments on the Medicare fraud crackdown that resulted in thirty-three arrests in South Florida.  The arrests were part of a national take down of Medicare fraud suspects.As part of a national takedown by the Justice Department, thirty-three South Florida healthcare professionals were charged with a variety of Medicare fraud offenses, reported The Miami Herald (10/4/12). The local suspects were accused of submitting approximately $205 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare. Medicare fraud lawyer Robert Malove is concerned about the arrests.  In high-volume arrest campaigns, the chances that innocent people are arrested tend to increase, he said.An additional 58 medical professionals were arrested in six other cities including New York and Los Angeles. They were allegedly responsible for filing another $225 million in phony claims, said The Miami Herald.

At a news conference, Attorney General Eric Holder indicated that the federal government was committed to being very aggressive in its ongoing crackdown on Medicare fraud.

“We look forward to hearing more about the planning and supervision of these crackdowns.  If officials and agents are pressured to make arrests, some might be tempted to take shortcuts that can compromise due process and violate a citizen’s rights,” said Robert Malove, founder of The Law Offices of Robert David Malove.

More than 500 agents, including those from the FBI, Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Postal Inspection Service, participated in the coordinated takedown, reported The Miami Herald.  The South Florida defendants were charged with a variety of Medicare fraud offenses including charges of paying kickbacks to recruiters and patients; charges of submitting phony claims to the Medicare program; conspiracy to pay bribes to recruiters and patients who did not need the facility’s mental health services; charges of receiving kickbacks to supply the Medicare beneficiaries; and attempting to conceal kickbacks by creating false documents, said The Miami Herald.

Mr. Malove is a Florida Bar certified specialist in criminal trial law. For 30 years he has focused his practice exclusively on criminal defense. Malove routinely represents individuals accused of healthcare fraud, Medicaid fraud in state and Medicare federal court. Some of Malove’s clients also include physicians and other health care providers who work at pain management clinics targeted by law enforcement for questionable practices. In addition to his legal credentials, Malove holds a Masters degree in Forensic Science and is co-author of White Collar Crime: Health Care Fraud (West 2012-2013, ed.).

Health care providers facing Medicare fraud or other health care fraud charges can contact Robert Malove at 954-861-0384.

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