Medical
Equipment Fraud: Equipment manufacturers offer "free" products to individuals.
Insurers are then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have
been delivered.
"Rolling
Lab" Schemes: Unnecessary and sometimes fake tests are given to individuals
at health clubs, retirement homes, or shopping malls and billed to insurance companies
or Medicare.
Services
Not Performed: Customers or providers bill insurers for services never rendered
by changing bills or submitting fake ones.
Medicare
Fraud: Medicare fraud can take the form of any of the health insurance frauds
described above. Senior citizens are frequent targets of Medicare schemes, especially
by medical equipment manufacturers who offer seniors free medical products in
exchange for their Medicare numbers. Because a physician has to sign a form certifying
that equipment or testing is needed before Medicare pays for it, conartists fake
signatures or bribe corrupt doctors to sign the forms. Once a signature is in
place, the manufacturers bill Medicare for merchandise or service that was not
needed or was not ordered.
Some
Tips to Avoid the Health Insurance Fraud:
Never
sign blank insurance claim forms. Never give blanket authorization to a medical
provider to bill for services rendered. Ask your medical providers what they
will charge and what you will be expected to pay out-of-pocket. Carefully
review your insurer's explanation of the benefits statement. Call your insurer
and provider if you have questions. Do not do business with door-to-door or
telephone salespeople who tell you that services of medical equipment are free.
Give your insurance/Medicare identification only to those who have provided
you with medical services. Keep accurate records of all health care appointments.
Know if your physician ordered equipment for you.
*Many cases are in
the investigative stages, but make a complaint now and your case can be evaluated.
Find out if you are owed money for damages and injury?