When it comes to record-breaking Medicare fraud busts, the hits keep coming. The feds announced today another nationwide takedown of physicians and other healthcare providers for Medicare fraud totaling in excess of $450 million. All told, 107 people have been charged in this week’s bust for, among other things, submitting false claims to the Medicare program. Read more about it here.
While these headline-grabbing takedowns usually involve some pretty egregious billing practices, law-abiding physicians and other providers should still take note as it is inevitable that the government’s increased efforts to identify fraud will also identify billing errors and inadvertent overpayments. If you are not regularly having your charts and billings audited by an independent auditor under attorney-client privilege, it is highly advisable to begin doing that regularly as the basis of a practice compliance program. For more information on developing a cost-effective practice compliance program, click here.