When your telemedicine practice faces compliance audits or fraud investigations by federal agencies, depend on the experienced defense services of Lowther | Walker to protect your professional reputation and safeguard your practice from severe penalties.
Our telemedicine defense services include:
Request your free consultation with a telemedicine fraud defense attorney to explore your next steps.
Lowther | Walker’s attorneys bring deep experience defending telemedicine providers across the United States, protecting both their professional reputations and personal freedoms. As healthcare fraud enforcement expands, we deliver comprehensive legal defense for telemedicine audits and billing fraud investigations, addressing the full spectrum of challenges digital healthcare providers face at the federal level.
Our Services Include:
Understanding the specific triggers for federal investigations in telemedicine can help you determine the best defensive strategy. Lowther | Walker can proactively audit and analyze your telemedicine billing procedures, review your digital practice protocols, and provide robust defense against potential compliance violations.
Federal investigators might target your telemedicine practice for:
Telemedicine providers require thorough documentation to support billing and prove medical necessity. If auditors discover insufficient patient records, incomplete patient notes, or missing consent forms for telehealth services, you may face financial penalties and recoupments from Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Telemedicine providers must maintain proper licensing in each state where they treat patients. Practicing across state lines without appropriate licenses can trigger investigations by state medical boards and federal agencies, leading to practice restrictions and criminal charges.
Not all telemedicine services qualify for reimbursement under federal healthcare programs. Billing for services that don’t meet telehealth coverage requirements, or misrepresenting in-person visits as telehealth encounters, can result in False Claims Act violations and substantial penalties.
Telemedicine platforms must comply with HIPAA security requirements and other federal regulations. Using non-compliant technology or failing to maintain proper data security can lead to both privacy violations and fraud allegations.
Federal programs require clear documentation that telemedicine services meet medical necessity standards. When investigators challenge whether telehealth encounters were appropriate or necessary, providers face potential recoupments and criminal penalties for allegedly fraudulent billing.
The DEA closely monitors telemedicine prescribing practices, especially for controlled substances. Violations of prescribing regulations through telehealth platforms can result in DEA investigations and loss of prescribing privileges.
HHS-OIG investigated our client for Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft based on the client’s allegedly participating in a “telemedicine” kickback scheme that defrauded Medicare of approximately $30 million in reimbursements for not-medically-necessary durable medical equipment and genetic testing. After our having conducted our own investigation into the matter and making several presentations to the investigating agents and prosecutors, we convinced the Government not to prosecute our client.
Our federal defense attorneys have proven experience representing doctors, telemedicine companies, digital health platforms, and other stakeholders in the rapidly evolving telehealth field. We understand both traditional healthcare fraud defense and the unique challenges facing digital medicine providers.
Our attorneys stay current with rapidly changing telemedicine regulations at both federal and state levels, ensuring your defense strategy accounts for the latest compliance requirements and enforcement priorities.
We have represented telemedicine providers and healthcare technology companies at every stage of fraud enforcement proceedings. From initial compliance audits through appeals of healthcare fraud convictions, our team provides comprehensive defense services.
Gather all telemedicine platform agreements, state licensing documentation, patient consent forms, billing records, technology compliance certificates, and any correspondence from federal agencies or state medical boards
Work with experienced counsel to ensure compliance with telehealth billing requirements, maintain proper state licensing, implement robust patient verification protocols, and document medical necessity for all telemedicine encounters.
Warning signs include unexpected audit requests, patient complaints to regulatory agencies, unusual Medicare/Medicaid payment holds, DEA inquiries about prescribing patterns, or state medical board investigations into your telehealth practices.
Our attorneys will assess your telemedicine compliance status, explain potential exposure to federal fraud allegations, outline defense strategies specific to telehealth regulations, and provide immediate steps to protect your practice during any ongoing investigation.
Lowther | Walker’s defense lawyers have proven courtroom experience defending healthcare professionals in the digital medicine space. If you’re facing federal investigators and potential criminal penalties that could end your telemedicine career, don’t wait to seek experienced legal counsel.
The stakes are too high to handle federal telemedicine fraud investigations alone. Contact Lowther | Walker today for immediate protection of your practice and professional future.
Call (404) 806-7997 or book a confidential consultation online.
