When you contact your health insurance company, all you want is to be able to access the healthcare you need. The sad reality is, that often what follows is scrutiny about whether you really needed that treatment. Like every operation, procedure, and even medical costs insurance companies money, many providers are eager to make sure every dollar spent is necessary. This is why doctors, nurses, and even patients are increasingly finding themselves accused of healthcare fraud. Here’s how you can protect yourself from such accusations.

Seek expert help

If you’ve already received notification that you’re suspected of healthcare fraud, whether you are a healthcare professional or a patient, it’s important that you seek legal help as soon as possible. Find a law firm that specializes in healthcare fraud cases. Experts like Healthcare Fraud Group defense lawyer Santa Monica CA have years of experience in dealing in cases like these. They have protected many innocent doctors’ and nurses’ reputations and allowed them to continue the important work they are doing.

Although you may think that your innocence will be enough to protect you from any problems, an investigation like this could be one of the most stressful experiences of anybody’s life. Many of the attorneys, the Department of Justice, and even FBI officers investigating these claims can be very aggressive and invasive. Some of the most experienced professionals have even chosen to leave the profession rather than fight to prove their innocence.

Pay attention to your prescriptions

If you haven’t been unfortunate enough to have already been accused of healthcare fraud, there are some steps you can take as a patient to make sure you don’t get caught up in any criminal activity. Always make sure you keep an eye on any paperwork you are issued. Make sure you have received all the medicine and treatments you have been prescribed. Count each tablet out against the paperwork. If you’re missing a few tablets it might seem like an administrative error, but it could be seen as fraud.

Make sure the procedures that are prescribed are appropriate for the symptoms you are showing. For example, it’s highly unlikely you’d need a full-body x-ray if you came in with problems regarding your vision. If you’re unsure, seek a second opinion from a trusted internet source or a different healthcare provider.

Keep an eye on your account

Sometimes patients find themselves as the victim of healthcare fraud without even visiting a doctor. Dishonest medical providers have sometimes been found to submit insurance claims for procedures or medicine prescribed to patients that they have never even met. The trend is known as “ghost patients” is possibly one of the most concerning tactics that fraudsters use. To make sure you don’t fall victim to the crime, keep a regular eye on your account. If you find procedures or medicine you haven’t been prescribed in any of your statements, contact your health insurance provider immediately. You could even find problems like these impact your renewal price without you even noticing.