Available To Serve You Nationwide On All Federal Cases
This page was written, edited, reviewed & approved by Karren Kenney following our comprehensive editorial guidelines Karren Kenney, the Founding Partner, has 30+ years of legal experience as a criminal defense attorney.
Health Care Fraud allegations pose extraordinary risk for physicians, medical practices, health care executives, and clinic operators. Beyond potential criminal penalties, these cases threaten professional licenses, business operations, payer relationships, and long-term reputational standing. Federal and state enforcement agencies aggressively pursue health care fraud matters, often relying on complex billing data, whistleblowers, and multi-year investigations.
At Kenney Legal Defense, Attorney Karren Kenney, Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), provides sophisticated defense representation for physicians, clinics, practice owners, and health care executives facing health care fraud investigations or charges. We represent clients in Orange County, San Diego, throughout California, and nationwide in federal court, with a strategic approach tailored to high-stakes professional and organizational exposure.
Health care fraud is broadly defined as knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud a health care benefit program or to obtain money through false or fraudulent representations related to medical services. While the definition may sound straightforward, enforcement actions are rarely simple.
Many physicians and executives are charged not because of overt criminal intent, but because prosecutors interpret billing practices, compliance failures, or business relationships as fraudulent schemes. Federal agencies frequently pursue cases involving:
Health care fraud cases involve substantial document production, forensic billing analysis, and expert testimony, making early legal strategy essential with the assistance of an experienced health care fraud attorney..
Federal and state authorities increasingly focus on individuals in leadership or decision-making roles, including:
Prosecutors often allege that executives “should have known” about improper practices, even when day-to-day billing or operational decisions were delegated. These cases can expand quickly into conspiracy charges, exposing multiple individuals and entities to liability.
Importantly, not all regulatory or billing violations amount to fraud. The distinction between administrative noncompliance and criminal conduct is often the central battleground in these cases. More importantly, many federal health care fraud criminal cases are charged as a federal conspiracy involving several people.
Attorney Karren Kenney is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)—a credential that reflects specialized training in fraud investigation, financial analysis, and fraud prevention methodologies. This background provides a critical advantage in defending health care fraud cases.
As a CFE, Attorney Kenney understands:
This allows Kenney Legal Defense to challenge the government’s narrative at its foundation, rather than simply reacting to charges after they are filed.
Federal prosecutions often involve:
Federal penalties may include:
State-level cases may involve:
Even when prison exposure is limited, licensing and business consequences can be devastating.
Kenney Legal Defense handles both state and federal matters, coordinating defense strategies across criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings.
Health care fraud defense is not one-size-fits-all. At Kenney Legal Defense, we develop customized strategies based on your role, exposure, and professional objectives.
Defense approaches may include:
For executives and practice owners, defense strategy often includes protecting the organization while defending the individual, a balance that requires careful legal judgment.
For physicians and executives, the collateral consequences of a health care fraud investigation can be more damaging than the criminal case itself.
Potential consequences include:
Kenney Legal Defense takes a holistic approach, recognizing that your livelihood and professional reputation must be protected alongside your criminal defense.
Southern California is a major focus of federal and state health care fraud enforcement. Task forces in Orange County and San Diego aggressively pursue cases involving large health systems, specialty practices, and emerging health care models.
Kenney Legal Defense represents:
We also provide nationwide federal defense, representing clients charged or investigated in federal courts across the United States.
When your career, business, and freedom are at stake, you need counsel who understands both fraud investigations and health care operations.
If you are a physician, clinic operator, or executive facing a health care fraud investigation or charge, do not speak with investigators or respond to subpoenas without an experienced health care fraud attorney.
Early intervention can:
Kenney Legal Defense, led by Attorney Karren Kenney, Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), provides experienced health care fraud defense in Orange County, San Diego, throughout California, and nationwide in federal court. Contact Kenney Legal Defense today for a confidential consultation
Your defense deserves precision, discretion, and expertise.
Billing errors alone are not fraud. Prosecutors must generally prove intent to defraud, though aggressive enforcement can blur this distinction.
These cases rely on billing data, expert analysis, and regulatory frameworks, often spanning years of alleged conduct.
A CFE understands how fraud investigations are constructed and can identify weaknesses in financial analysis and investigative assumptions.
Yes. Criminal investigations often trigger parallel licensing board actions that can threaten your ability to practice.
Yes. Kenney Legal Defense handles federal health care fraud cases nationwide, in addition to Orange County and San Diego.
