Ronald W. Chapman II Gives WMU-Cooley Health Law Students Insight Into Handling Healthcare Fraud Matters

At Chapman Law Group, part of what makes us great leaders in healthcare law is our taking advantage of opportunities to give tomorrow’s healthcare attorneys the insight they need.

Ronald W. Chapman II, chairperson of Chapman Law Group’s White Collar Defense & Government Investigations practice team, recently served as an expert advisor for Western Michigan University-Cooley Law School’s class on health law.

The class, led by Julie Janeway, a professor of health and business law at WMU-Cooley, covers all of the things lawyers need to know about healthcare fraud, compliance, criminal defense, and internal investigations.

Using his expertise in what healthcare fraud cases entail from the get-go, Ron offered assessment of how students are handling select parts of the curriculum, such as taking the time to grasp what a healthcare provider who is accused of Medicare/Medicaid/TriCare fraud is experiencing.

“When it comes to client interviews,” he explained, “this is actually one of the most important things defense attorneys can do. Most attorneys fail at sitting down with their client and understanding their case. It’s actually the thing I do as soon as possible.”

In addition, Ron discussed:

• Where to find federal guidance on internal investigations, like 2020 DOJ guide on corporate compliance;
• Compositions of a healthcare fraud scheme;
• Looking out for employee interests and the Upjohn warning on attorney/client privilege;
• Reviewing and digesting the charging documents/indictments, complaint(s), and any government information, in order to find the true issues at hand;
• Interviewing employees with a defense investigator present so that he/she is able to testify should the matter goes to trial; and
• Coming up with a roadmap for aggressively defending the case.

One of the U.S.’s most highly sought-after healthcare defense attorneys, Ron’s track record includes a significant number of trial acquittals and pre-trial dismissals on behalf of healthcare practitioners and entities. He works with medical practitioners and entities nationally who are facing suspicion or charges of healthcare fraud, not maintaining DEA compliance, unlawful prescribing, and drug/opioid trafficking. As a former prosecutor and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Ron has unique insight into how the Department of Justice and other federal agencies — including the DEA, FBI, HHS, and FDA — approach healthcare fraud actions.