Health care fraud in Colorado is often done by exploiting the system of paperwork necessary to receive and pay for medical treatment. Below are some of the most common types of health care fraud that occur throughout the country.
Double billing
This type of white-collar crime involves billing an insurance company multiple times for the same procedure. Unfortunately, insurance companies may not realize that this is happening, and they end up paying all of these claims. This can equate to quite a bit of money that they end up overpaying. If an insurance company doesn’t pay any of these claims, the medical provider may send multiple bills for the same procedure to the patient in hopes that the patient will pay all of them.
Insurance swapping
When someone doesn’t have insurance, they may try to use the insurance information that belongs to a friend or family member. However, this is illegal. If they get caught, both parties could have to pay a hefty fine or even serve some jail time.
Forging prescriptions
Some individuals forge prescriptions in order to get a medication that a doctor wouldn’t normally prescribe to them. This often happens when an individual gets addicted to a controlled substance. It’s not uncommon for an addicted patient to visit numerous doctors to try to get a prescription written for them. When this no longer works, they may wind up forging a prescription.
Health care fraud can lead to raised insurance premiums, increased security measures and higher taxes, which is why penalties for fraud are strict. If an individual has been accused of committing health care fraud, they may want an attorney’s help to understand possible defense strategies.
