MEDICARE FRAUD COSTS $60 BILLION A YEAR

According to an AARP article published last month, Medicare fraud costs tax-payers a whopping $60 billion a year. By billing the program for thousands of unnecessary services and equipment, criminal physicians and therapists, nurses and even health care companies are getting away with one of the easiest and most lucrative scams in the country’s history.

Thankfully, the U.S. Justice Department is fighting back. Anticipating a rising number of aging baby boomers and the ensuing financial pressure on the system, the Department together with Medicare officials are cracking down on suspicious claims. Since 2007, a nationwide law enforcement program has indicted 800 defendants who submitted nearly $2 billion in false bills, most often with stolen Medicare ID numbers. You can seek help in filing Medicare claims and verifying accuracy by speaking with a licensed professional fiduciary.

Here are a few measures that individuals can take to help fight fraud:

• Never allow someone to borrow your Medicare ID number
• Review your Medicare claims for accuracy
• If you think you’ve spotted Medicare fraud, call 1-800-633-4277 to report it.

You can find the entire article at AARP.com.