Medicaid Fraud Poses Risk to Seniors

There have been numerous recent accounts about various Medicaid fraud scams that have targeted both seniors and the state and federal government programs paying for their care. While some Medicaid scams involve complicated price-fixing schemes by drug manufacturers or other events that most seniors have little or no control over, there are some scams that you can keep an eye out for to better protect yourself. Here is a quick review of two of the more common types of Medicaid fraud.

Billing Scams

Some Medicare providers will provide a range of services to a patient even though they might bill for services never provided. For example, a healthcare provider might bill you for medication or treatments you never received, or bill you twice for the same healthcare services. While many of these overbillings are mistakes, some of them are fraudulent. Because of this you should always review any bill you receive from a healthcare provider, even if Medicaid is paying for it.

Equipment Scams

Medical equipment is often very pricey, and the market for used equipment is growing rapidly. However, some healthcare providers see an opportunity in selling used equipment for new prices and billing Medicaid for the new price. You should always closely inspect any equipment you receive for any evidence of prior use. Compare that against your Medicaid bill to determine if you have been charged the new price or the used price.