Sunday, Sept. 12 is National Report Medicare Fraud Day across America, and the FBI Office is using the event to encourage people to be aware of the easy steps to take to avoid becoming a victim of healthcare fraud.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, the number of victims of healthcare-related fraud jumped 110 percent nationally from 2019 to 2020. During the same period, the reported fraud losses suffered by those individuals rose to $29 million.
Healthcare fraud can be committed by not only medical providers, but also fellow patients, supply companies, and even family members who knowingly deceive the healthcare system to receive unlawful benefits or payments.
Schemes may include offers for fake insurance cards, stolen health information, and counterfeit medication, with such scams often being initiated through spam email, Internet advertisements, and fraudulent websites, according to Brooke Brennan, public affairs specialist for the FBI Office in Phoenix.
The FBI recommends you protect your health insurance information the same you would your bank account information, and only share personal or health information with known and trusted medical professionals.
Acting Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer Schlinz of the FBI Office in Phoenix also recommends being leery of purportedly free services which require the release of your health insurance information. She also advises doing a regular review of your Explanation of Benefits, paying particular attention to dates, locations, and the services provided to make sure you actually obtained those services.
Any discrepancies should be immediately reported to your health insurance provider, says Schlinz. And if you or a family member have been the victim of a healthcare-related scam you can report it directly to the FBI Office in Phoenix at 623-466-1999 or file a complaint online at ic3.gov
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