Nine medical providers have been suspended for fraud in the state of California. The state workers’ compensation department issued the suspensions. The suspension prevents the medical providers from participating in the state’s workers’ compensation program. The nine suspensions brings the total this year in the state to 94 people. All of the suspensions came in large part to the passing of the State Assembly Bill 1244.
The bill requires the director of the workers’ compensation department to suspend any and all medical providers who are convicted of crimes involving fraud or abuse of the Medicare or Medicaid systems or of the workers’ compensation system in California. Abuse or fraudulent activities related to patients also requires suspension.
The bill also requires medical providers be suspended by the administrator of the workers’ compensation department if they committed any other types of misconduct. This includes child endangerment, child abuse, driving under the influence, possession of controlled substances, illegal kickbacks for referring patients and many other offenses.
The nine medical providers recently suspended were either convicted of an aforementioned crime or pleaded guilty in court to a crime. Many of the providers recently suspended committed these crimes in 2015 or 2016. Some of them had their nursing licenses revoked by the California Board of Registered Nursing. Others had their medical provider licenses revoked after being suspended from the workers’ compensation program.
Is your nursing license in jeopardy in California? An experienced nursing license defense attorney to have your situation explained to you and to begin defending your rights.
Source: Insurance Journal, “California Workers’ Comp Department Suspends 9 Medical Providers for Fraud,” Nov. 22, 2017
