MEDICARE FRAUD UPDATE 06:
Fraud and abuse costs Medicare an estimated 16
>> billion dollars every year and leads to higher costs for everyone with
>> Medicare in the form of higher premiums, deductible and other costs.
>> Doctors and other health care providers who commit Medicare fraud may
be
>> dishonest about other things as well. Reporting fraud can help Medicare
>> ensure that people with Medicare receive health care only from health
>> care
>> professionals who provide quality services. If you report fraud that
cost
>> Medicare more than $100, Medicare may pay you up to 10% of the money
you
>> helped recover, up to $1,000. To report Medicare fraud, call the
>> Medicare
>> fraud hotline at (800) 447-8477 or send Fax to (800) 223-8164 or
email
>> HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov, or mail
to Office of Inspector General , Department
>> of Health and Human Services, Attn: HOTLINE, PO Box 23489,
Washington,
>> DC
>> 2002 and provide the following:
>> . Personal Data - Your Name, full mailing address and email addee.
If
>> you would like your referral to be submitted anonymously indicate in
your
>> correspondence or phone call.
>> . Subject/Person/Business/Department that allegation is against and the
>> accused full mailing address.
>> . A brief summary relating to your allegation.
>>
>> Last year 20% of all Medicare Fraud cases in the U.S. were prosecuted
in
>> South Florida. This a much greater amount than other larger
metropolitan
>> areas around the country. In 2007, U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta
and
>> the Justice Department established a South Florida strike force of
>> federal
>> agents and prosecutors to target fraudulent providers. The South
Florida
>> strike force prosecuted 120 criminal and civil cases against 200
>> defendants who were charged with more than $638 million in fraudulent
>> Medicare claims. It is considered Medicare fraud is when doctors or
other
>> providers deceive Medicare into paying when it should not or paying
more
>> than it should. This is against the law and should be reported. Some
>> types
>> of fraud include
>> . Billing Medicare for services you never received;
>> . Billing Medicare for services that are different than the ones you
>> received (usually more expensive);
>> . Continuing to bill Medicare for rented medical equipment after you
have
>> returned it;
>> . Offering or performing services that you do not need in order to
charge
>> Medicare for more services;
>> . Telling you that Medicare will pay for something when it won't;
>> . Using another person's Medicare number or card
>> [Source: Medicare Rights Center 2 Jun 08 ++]