The Truth Behind Rising Health Care Costs - Is There a Scam or Fraud Behind it?

By Hillary Patz

Fraud and scams affect thousands daily, those with Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those with private health insurance. They contribute to the rising cost of health care and ultimately may lessen the quality of your health care.

The majority of physicians and other health care providers are honest and legitimate, but a few are not. Those people steal billions of dollars from the health care system each year. Even more dollars are lost to errors in billing that are never found.

So what can you do to help? You are the first line of defense against Medicare fraud. Why? Because you are in the best position to spot fraud from the beginning, right in your own home. You can spot questionable charges when your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) comes in the mail.

Your first step is to check each Medicare statement you receive and answer these questions:

Did you receive the service or product for which Medicare was billed?
Did your doctor order the service or product for you?
To the best of your knowledge, is the service or product appropriate for your diagnosis or treatment? (If you have a question about a procedure or test, ask your doctor to explain it.)

Your next step is to get a second opinion, if you spot something questionable. Check with a knowledgeable relative or friend to confirm you are reading the Summary Notice right. Then call your doctor or other health care provider. The charge could be a simple billing error. If so, your doctor or other health care provider will inform Medicare.

Take the third step if you can't resolve your questions. Report the questionable charges to your Medicare carrier using the phone number at the top of your Medicare statement. Medicare will then investigate and determine if a fraud has been committed.

Hillary Patz is an internet marketing guru with a desire to help people find success through BTTW. To learn more about Hillary Patz and her team of Marketing Mentors Click Here.