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Video Links

Medicare Fraud: Shell Games

This 8.07 minute clips Reuters report covers how shell companies operating out of fake clinics and creating fake clients to bill Medicare.

1. How can Medicare be scammed by these shell companies? What type of services were the scammers billing Medicare? Do you think the state's/government take enough action to verify the existence of clinics? What do you think would be the best way to prevent these scams from occurring in the future?
    

A Broken Leg Exposures Medical Fraud

This 2.28 minute clip from NBC News demonstrates that a doctor providing cancer treatment can scam patients and the health care system by treating patients for cancer when they do not have it.

1. How did the over treatment impact the health and well-being of the victims? Should doctors who violate patient by intentionally over treating face the same penalties as those who commit violent crimes?
    

Audio Links

High Charges by Doctors May or May Not Be  Red Flag for Fraud (5:11)

In this NPR report by April Dembosky reports issues related to the medical billing coding system. The American Medical Association’s view on these coding systems is presented, as is the view that medical billing information should be public record. Dr Marilyn Levi provides the perspective of a medical specialty care provider and the complex issues around billing coding.

1. Is the medical billing coding system inherently flawed? Should these codes be updated to help increase the transparency of the medical billing process? Would this resolve issues of billing fraud in the medical field?
    

Medical Fraud Carries a Staggering Price Tag (4:17)

In this broadcast of Morning Edition, experts on healthcare fraud attempt to estimate the costs of healthcare fraud and explain why exactly it is so hard to establish exact figures.  Host, Joanne Silberner, also briefly discusses what the government has done and plans to do to combat medical fraud. The discussion of quantifying the costs of medical fraud demonstrates to students how difficult it is to produce a concrete figure when it comes to white-collar offending.

1. What has the estimated cost is there to the health care system due to medical fraud? Why is it challenging to create an estimate of these costs? What measures have been taken to investigate medical care fraud?