Let’s take a minute to delve into the world of the Medicare system. You may ask why would this concern Visiting Angels, a company in the home care system, not the healthcare arena.
All the funding mechanisms for our national medical health insurance programs: Medicare, Medicaid, and Tri-Care are inextricably linked through our legislative efforts. Whether we like it or not, when one of these three groups experiences a problem, it will eventually effect the others through some form of legislation -- whether it be reduced funding, increased control and monitoring, or even elimination of part of a program. It is up to all of us to monitor what occurs in the public with a watchful eye towards any unusual practices so that the general public, and in particular our clients/care recipients, are not being ripped-off by fraudulent companies posing as legitimate government licensed providers.
The official government website for Medicare, www.Medicare.gov, has listed several points to consider when identifying and reporting fraud. Here are some tips that may help to reduce potential Medicare fraud:
Some of these can be clerical mistakes and easily explained, yet at times, some of the points sited above may actually be a form of provider fraud. A simple phone call may eliminate your concerns and prevent this fraud.
From the same government website, here are some tips for reducing the potential fraud cases that are so rampant in our system:
In a report by MSNBC’s Mark Potter (www.msnbc.com, Dec. 11, 2007), it was estimated that Medicare fraud can account for nearly “$60 billion dollars a year – a staggering cost borne by American taxpayers.” It is clear that our government, which instituted our medical insurance programs, is unable to enforce the laws which are on the books to protect the very people who would most benefit from these programs. What’s left to do?
It is up to us, the general public, to scrutinize our bills and review service recommendations, billing inconsistencies, unusual office locations, “too good to be true” offers, etc. If we all regularly question what is happening with our service providers, we should be able to greatly reduce fraud in our medical insurance programs.
As for me, I’m all for making sure the amount of taxes I pay goes to legitimate programs, and that my tax dollars don’t end up in the hands of some rip-off artist.
Other Articles
Thank you so much Christal, Wendy, and everyone that helped my mother through the years, you will not be forgotten.