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In: Finance

Regarding Medicare, would working towards preventing fraud committed by health care providers significantly reduce costs?

Regarding Medicare, would working towards preventing fraud committed by health care providers significantly reduce costs?

Solutions

Expert Solution

Yes, working towards preventing fraud committed by health care providers significantly reduce costs.

Here are some simple ways you can protect yourself from health care fraud, and keep health care costs down for everyone:

  • Protect your health insurance ID card like you would a credit card. In the wrong hands, a health insurance card is a license to steal. Don't give out policy numbers to door-to-door salespeople, telephone solicitors or over the Internet. Be careful about disclosing your insurance information and if you lose your insurance ID card, report it to your insurance company immediately.
  • Report fraud. Call your insurance company immediately if you suspect you may be a victim of health insurance fraud. Many insurers now offer the opportunity to report suspected fraud online through their Website.
  • Be informed. Be informed about the health care services you receive, keep good records of your medical care, and closely review all medical bills you receive.
  • Read your policy and benefits statements. Read your policy, Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements and any paperwork you receive from your insurance company. Make sure you actually received the treatments for which your insurance was charged, and question suspicious expenses. Are the dates of service documented on the forms correct? Were the services identified and billed for actually performed?
  • Beware of "free" offers. Is it too good to be true? Offers of free health care services, tests or treatments are often fraud schemes designed to bill you and your insurance company illegally for thousands of dollars of treatments you never received.

Health care fraud is a serious crime that affects everyone and should concern everyone-government officials and taxpayers, insurers and premium-payers, health care providers and patients-and it is a costly reality that none of us can afford to overlook.


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