Financial fraud and abuse in nursing homes and long term care facilities put residents at risk and costs the healthcare system billions of dollars. Elderly residents are vulnerable and rely on the staff and management of nursing homes for their well-being. Nursing home administers and staff have a legal duty to provide residents with professional care, including protecting them from medical records or identity theft, overmedication, or other forms of abuse or fraud.
If a loved one has been the victim of mistreatment or fraud by a nursing home administrator or employee, contact our experienced Miami lawyer for financial fraud by a nursing home. The Law Offices of Proser Shaked will provide aggressive representation to pursue a claim against the nursing home, and its staff, that harmed your loved one. To schedule a free legal consultation to discuss your claim, contact the Law Offices of Prosper Shaked at (305) 694-2676.
Economic and Financial Fraud in Miami Nursing Homes
Nursing homes are susceptible to financial fraud, such as Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Furthermore, questionable billing practices or other fraudulent conduct often violates the False Claims Act. These practices not only harm the residents but divert much needed funds from the Medicaid and Medicare systems. Financial fraud in long term care facilities and nursing homes can take place in several forms, including:
Fraudulent Billing Practices
A common type of fraud practiced by nursing home administrators or doctors is inflating prices for services and medications or charging for services that were not provided.
Unnecessary Medical Procedures
Nursing home doctors could potentially order medical procedures that are not necessary, billing them to directly to your loved one, depleting their resources, or to their insurance or Medicare, possibly violating the False Claims Act.
Elder Financial Abuse
The elderly in the care of a nursing home facility rely on and trust their caretakers and administrators. When these trusted healthcare providers misappropriate a resident’s economic resources, they are guilty of elder financial abuse.
Other Financial Abuses Committed in Miami Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes
Due to their physical condition, potential cognitive problems, and other medical issues, nursing home residents are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Your loved one relies on the staff for meals, personal care, and medication. Often, that trust puts them at risk for mistreatment and fraud. Some of the other ways a Miami nursing home resident could be affected by the fraudulent conduct of nursing home administrators and staff include:
- Medical records and personnel files could be stolen – allowing individuals access to social security numbers, financial accounts, and potential identity theft.
- Nursing home staff could require payments or personal information in exchange for personal information.
- Medication could be purposefully withheld by nursing home staff to sell.
- Nursing home administrators could falsify residents’ medical records to justify fraudulent billing.
- Residents could undergo unrequired medical procedures or prescribed medications for additional and unnecessary billing.
- Nursing home staff or administrators could take gifts from pharmaceutical companies or the manufacturers of medical equipment for using their medications or devices.
- Nursing home administrators or staff could falsify documents to avoid liability, including inaccurate duty logs, faking signatures, and destroying records.
Signs of Financial Fraud in Miami
The elderly residents of Miami nursing homes are susceptible to fraudulent conduct as their mental and physical capacities might be compromised and they are away from the care and protection of their family. There are several warning signs that family members should be aware of, including:
- Money missing from checking and saving accounts
- No memory or recollection of certain financial transactions or payments
- Unusual withdrawals from bank accounts
- Missing or lost credit cards
- Unexplained credit card transactions
- An unknown additional authorized user on credit card or bank account
- Collection letters from unknown creditors
- An unexplained change in their will
- Lost or missing personal items
- Noticeable changes in behavior, such as heightened anxiety or fear
Proving Financial Fraud Against a Miami Nursing Home
Proving nursing home fraud in Miami requires establishing the same elements as any other fraud case. Our experienced Miami fraud attorney will have to prove the following:
- An administrator or nursing home employee misrepresented a material fact.
- The administrator or nursing staff knowingly made the misrepresentation.
- The misrepresentation was made with the intent to defraud your loved one.
- Your loved one relied on, and acted upon, the misrepresentation.
- Your loved one suffered an injury, or financial harm, as a result of relying on, or acting upon, the misrepresentation.
Compensation for Nursing Home Fraud and Abuse in Miami
If your loved one was a victim of nursing home fraud or healthcare abuse, our Miami attorney could assist families to secure compensation for financial loss, additional medical costs, pain and suffering, and more, including:
- Additional medical expenses, counseling, or other necessary services due to fraud or abuse.
- The expense of changing facilities
- Compensation for economic losses due to financial fraud
- Emotional anguish
- The cost of proper medical equipment or medication that was denied due to fraud
Call Our Miami Lawyer for Financial Fraud by a Nursing Home for a Free Consultation
When nursing home administrators and staff defraud the elderly in their charge they should be held accountable. If your loved one suffered any harm from the conduct of the employees or management of a long term care facility, you require the experienced representation of our Miami lawyer for financial fraud by a nursing home. To schedule a free legal consultation to discuss your claim, contact the Law Offices of Prosper Shaked at (305) 694-2676.