What is Fraud?
The act of deceiving or misrepresenting of health care services.
- Misrepresentation or concealment of a material fact on a health care claim
- Knowledge of the falsity of the misrepresentation
- Intent to deprive or harm BCBST and its customers financially
- BCBST, a victim, acting on the misrepresentation
- Financial damage to BCBST and its customers
- Providers
- Subscribers
- Non-Subscribers
- Groups
- Claims Processors
- Employees
- Brokers and Agents
Where Can Fraud Occur?
What is the Cost of Health Care Fraud?
The cost of health care fraud is estimated by the American Medical Association, National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, Certified Fraud Examiners, and Department of Health and Human Services/Offices of Inspectors General to be between 3% and 14%. In 2000, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee paid $7.4 billion in health care benefits. This means BCBST could have potentially lost between $ 222,000,000 and $1,036,000,000.
3% = $222,000,000 (Two Hundred Twenty-Two Million)
14% = $1,036,000,000 (One Billion Thirty-Six Million)
What is Being Done about Health Care Fraud?
- Legislative Health Care Initiatives
- Private insurance companies are establishing Special Investigation Units (SIUs)
- FBI is dedicating resources to health care fraud
- States have established Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs)
- Health Care Task Forces have been established in the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Tennessee, including the following agencies:
- Assistant US Attorney General
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Postal Inspector
- Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
- Office of Inspector General (OIG)
- Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
- BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee’s SIU
- National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association 1985
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners 1989
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