Not all acts of noncompliance in healthcare are intentional. Regardless, stiff, potentially career-ending penalties can result from such actions. For instance, under the False Claims Act, incorrectly coded line items can result in fines up to $11,000 each plus three times the amount originally billed for. This, coupled with being barred from serving certain patients, can result in well-meaning physicians losing their ability to practice. Suffice it to say, in some areas of practice, this would be devastating not only in lost revenue but in the eroding confidence of patients who might leave the practice. Do you know of real-life cases where this has happened?
