Thursday, March 24, 2011

Seniors a Top Target for Health Care Fraud and Abuse

Instead of fading away over the years, the business of defrauding the government of billions of dollars annually is not only still going strong, but is increasing, according to the most recent report from the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Program.

And Baby-Boomers beware: You're not only at the top on the list for fraud and abuse, but for medical errors as well. Meanwhile, certain parts of health care reform from the government level appear to be more rhetoric than action.

From over-pricing and false claims for medical services, to gross misconduct and mismanaged care of senior citizens in nursing homes, the pharmaceutical industry leads the pack in health care fraud and abuse. It's been that way for decades. That's why the U.S. government has repeatedly enacted new laws – in 1986, 1996, 2009, and 2010 – to crack down on offenders.

The 1986 legislation strengthened a Civil War-era fraud law, the False Claims Act, with incentives for private citizens to report fraud and abuse of government programs by corporate America.

This law enabled "whistleblowers" to expose corporate criminals whose crimes had previously gone undetected. But it didn't stop these crimes, so, in 1996, Congress created another enforcement tool, the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control (HCFAC) program, which provides for huge fines and prison sentences for health care fraud and abuse.

Full Article and Source:
Seniors a Top Target for Health Care Fraud and Abuse

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You won't publish what I'm thinking what I want to say use your imagination on my suggestions for permanently fixing this mess and other protective measures that guarantee I will be heard in the end if I even suspect I am being taken advantage of or a member of my family.

Dan said...

Exactly. I heard that once a person turns 65, doctors start ordering tests right and left because they know they can bill Medicare.

Sandi said...

This is why it's so important that congress get busy and get some tough laws in place!