InsuranceSmartBook.com

InsuranceSmartBook.com


Click Here for Details

Home > General Insurance > Medical Billing and Insurance Fraud

Summary

Medical Billing and Insurance Fraud

Author: Ricci Mathew

Insurance fraud is defined as any act committed with the intent to fraudulently obtain payment from an insurer. A big chunk of the total claims received by insurers are fraudulent claims that run into billions of dollars annually. Health Insurance fraud is today a very serious problem and a great challenge, as it has proved to be very costly to the US health-care system.

Insurance fraud has occurred in both the public and private sectors. There is known evidence that our Public healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid have been especially conducive to fraudulent activities, as they are often run on a fee-for-service structure. One also cannot forget the case of the New York based doctors who were convicted of defrauding 60 insurance companies and a city transit agency of at least $15 million through clinic billing scams and were later sentenced to be behind bars.

What are the types of fraudulent activities that the dishonest Physicians and healthcare providers are known to engage in? The activities include,

  • Up-coding/Upgrading (billing for more than actual service provided)
  • Providing and subsequently billing for treatments that are not medically necessary
  • Scheduling extra visits for patients
  • Referring patients to another physician unnecessarily
  • Billing for services to accompanying family members
  • Ordering unnecessary tests

  • With newer and better coding systems and techniques in place and new policies, vigorous plans are continuously being made to revive the ailing US health industry. It is hoped that after the November 2008 Presidential election, the future will bring better reforms with lesser frauds, and provide efficient and effective health insurance for the entire population in the US.

    The author of this article is Ricci Mathew of Outsource Strategies International (OSI), a US based company that offers services in Medical Coding, Medical Billing, Medical Transcription for clients across the US.



    Other Recent Insurance Smart Book Articles:
  • Insurance Billing Software
  • Insurance Fraud - Spotting Insurance Scams
  • Medical Insurance Claim Denials ¨C 7 Steps to Get Them Paid
  • Tips to Avoiding Health Insurance Fraud
  • Filing Secondary and Tertiary Insurance Claims


  • Custom Search



    © InsuranceSmartBook.com

    Bookmark and Share





      » Home

      » Insurance

      » Auto Insurance

      » Health Insurance

      » Life Insurance

      » Home Insurance

      » Insurance Agents

      » Travel Insurance

      » Govt Grants

      » Link Exchange

      » Resources

      » Contact Us