Recent Blog Posts
Why Whistleblower Retaliation Claims Can Complicate Fraud Defense
Healthcare fraud investigations are rarely straightforward. In many cases, they are driven not only by data analytics and audits, but also by insiders such as employees, former employees, or business partners who come forward with allegations of wrongdoing. These individuals are often referred to as whistleblowers, and when they claim they were retaliated against… Read More »
What to Expect When Facing an OIG Investigation
Healthcare providers who participate in Medicare, Medi-Cal, or other federally funded programs operate under constant regulatory oversight. Among the most powerful enforcement bodies in this space is the Office of Inspector General, commonly referred to as the OIG. When the OIG initiates an investigation, it is rarely routine, and it is never something to… Read More »
Do Miranda Rights Apply to Healthcare Fraud Investigations?
Healthcare fraud prosecutions rarely begin with flashing lights or dramatic arrests. More often, they start quietly, with audit letters, document requests, or phone calls from investigators. By the time a healthcare provider realizes the seriousness of the situation, federal agents may already have spent months or even years building a case. One of the… Read More »
Los Angeles Healthcare Fraud Defense Attorney Quoted in Politico Article
Stanley L. Friedman was interviewed for an article recently published by the politics and policy news publication Politico. The article concerns the increased scrutiny and potential rise in prosecutions of Medicaid fraud coming from the federal government, primarily regarding reimbursement claims for home and community-based services. As a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the… Read More »
Understanding “Upcoding”: What It Is and Why It’s Prosecuted
Healthcare providers operate in a complex billing environment where thousands of services must be coded accurately in order to receive reimbursement from government healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medi-Cal. While coding errors sometimes occur unintentionally, federal and state authorities take a particularly aggressive stance toward a practice known as upcoding. When investigators believe… Read More »
Data Analytics and Billing Spikes Lead to Federal Healthcare Fraud Investigations in California
Dr. Mehmet Oz’s recent letter to Governor Newsom in January has put the state in the position where it must now step up investigations and prosecutions of healthcare fraud. In the letter, Dr. Oz emphasized explosive growth in certain Medi-Cal billing categories. Behind that language lies a critical reality for healthcare providers: modern healthcare… Read More »
CMS Puts California on Notice
What Dr. Oz’s Letter to Governor Newsom Means for Healthcare Providers In a highly publicized letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz signaled intensified federal scrutiny of California’s Medi-Cal system. The letter, directed to state leadership but clearly intended for a broader audience, alleges… Read More »
Federal Crackdown on Healthcare Fraud: What Providers Need to Know
Late in 2025 and early 2026, federal officials made headlines for an unusually public push to target alleged healthcare fraud in California, invoking prosecutions in Minnesota as part of a broader narrative about government enforcement priorities. At a January 2026 press briefing in Los Angeles, CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and First Assistant U.S…. Read More »
Healthcare Fraud Prosecutions in California: Case Studies and Cautionary Tales
Last year in this blog we posted a series of case studies looking at recent notable examples of healthcare fraud convictions in California. As we head into a new year, let’s take a step back and look at why these cases matter, how effective defense strategies can address allegations such as these, and key… Read More »
The Michael Drobot Case | A Cautionary Tale For Healthcare Providers
Few healthcare fraud prosecutions in California illustrate the scale, complexity, and consequences of government investigations more clearly than the case of Michael Drobot, the former owner of Pacific Hospital of Long Beach. Prosecutors repeatedly characterized Drobot’s conduct as the largest healthcare fraud scheme in California history, and the case has become a touchstone for… Read More »