Medicare Pays Billions for False Claims

A recent congressional investigation revealed that from 2001 to 2006, the federal government paid more than $1 billion for fraudulent claims under the Medicare program.  According to investigators, medical suppliers defrauded Medicare by using Medicare ID numbers for doctors who were deceased or retired, and by submitting bills with invalid diagnosis codes.  To prevent future payment of fraudulent claims, investigators encourage the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to consider new procedures in determining whether diagnosis codes are medically related to the supplies being reimbursed, and to deny claims with invalid codes.  Investigators suggest that if CMS does not change its review process, Medicare will continue to be at risk for fraud, waste and abuse.

The Employment Law Group® law firm routinely represents relators in qui tam actions to recover fraud against the government.  For more infromation about qui tam litigation, click here. 

Tagged: False Claims Act (FCA), Whistleblower Laws (Federal)