Medicare and Medicaid fraud may be committed by a healthcare practitioner, and when this happens, it can be greatly harmful to the victims. But who are the victims? The victims are people that do not receive the medications and the treatments they deserve on account of the health care practitioner making decisions based on cost rather than what the patient actually needs. It is not uncommon for unscrupulous health care providers to diagnose a medicine that doesn’t address the problem to get more money out of the Medicare and Medicaid system. Unfortunately, many doctors look at their career as business instead of a calling, and that can lead them to commit fraudulent acts.
But Medicare and Medicaid fraud can also look different. Sometimes health care practitioners will bill out for services that you never received. They will inflate numbers to place a greater burden on the existing system. It is so vitally important that a patient pay attention to the care that he or she is receiving. When you get billing statements, it is important to investigate the itemizations and enquire about what certain charges are for. Make sure that you account for each and every action that a doctor has taken because Medicare and Medicaid fraud happens far more often than you would expect.
It is important to remember that when it comes to Medicare and Medicaid fraud, there is no such thing as a victimless crime. Even if you do not end up paying anything more out of pocket, it can place a greater strain on an already overburdened system that is threatening bankruptcy. Should that happen, you will be forced to deal with medical care expenses on your own, without the aid of the financial relief that these programs provide.
So protect yourself by protecting the system. There is no reason why Medicare and Medicaid cannot be around for a long time to come. By being vigilant in policing your bill, you essentially are a protector of the system, and that can mean a difference of five or even six figures to you in the long run.