Each year, somewhere between three to ten percent of money spent by the government on healthcare is spent on fraudulent insurance claims. Fraudulent insurance claims are becoming increasingly common. However, that doesn’t mean they have become easy to spot. In fact, the individuals committing Medicare insurance fraud have learned how to hide their fraudulent activity well.
What Are Some Signs of Medicare Fraud?
The United States government relies heavily on individuals who are willing to blow the whistle on providers who are committing fraud and stealing money from Medicare. Because of this, insurance agents are learning to be hyper-vigilant. They watch closely for suspicious activity in each and every claim they manage. Insurance agents are learning to identify fraudulent insurance claims by watching for the most common types of Medicare insurance fraud, which include:
Duplicate Billing
In many cases, healthcare professionals will try to bill for a service more than once as a way to make more money.
Separate Billing of Services Normally Billed as One
There are specific procedures, such as diagnosed blood tests, which are typically billed as one. For instance, a complete blood count contains multiple tests but is almost always billed as one procedure. Healthcare providers may bill the CBC tests as one, and then bill for each test in order to receive double payment.
Billing for Services Never Received
In some cases, healthcare professionals will bill Medicare for services a patient never received. Medicare insurance agents can watch for billings that seem out of place or do not match up with a patient’s health history.
Medicare ID Sharing
More frequently, Medicare ID numbers are being shared among multiple people. Healthcare providers may also use them to bill for services for patients they haven’t seen. Insurance agents watch carefully to make the ID number being uses matches with the name on the claim.
In addition to watching for the most common types of Medicare insurance frauds, insurance agents carefully consider the calls they get from Medicare clients. People may call with concerns or confusion concerning a claim description they received in the mail. This red flag signifies the possibility of fraud. The client is the most reliable source for understanding which billings are accurate. So, insurance agents should never dismiss their concerns about inaccurate billing.
What Should You Do If You Suspect Fraudulent Insurance Claims?
If you are an insurance agent or patient who has concerns about a health provider, speaking with a fraud attorney who has extensive experience working with fraudulent insurance claims is a good place to start. A team member at Bothwell Law Group can look carefully at your suspicions. Then we can help you determine whether you have grounds for a lawsuit.
Contact our skilled fraudulent insurance claims attorneys at Bothwell Law Group by calling 770.643.1606 today.
Of all cases of medical insurance fraud that occur each year, Medicare fraud is the largest source. In 2014, fraudsters scammed Medicare for over $60 billion, and over 2,000 providers have been caught defrauding Medicare. Pursuing Medicare fraud can be difficult due to the prevalence of fraud as well as the sheer number of people involved in defrauding Medicare.