Healthcare spending in the United States continues to skyrocket. Although many rely upon privately funded health insurance plans, millions of Americans are insured, in whole or in part, by health insurance paid for with federal or state government funds. By far, the largest of the government sponsored healthcare plans are the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These two programs provide health care coverage for as many as 95 million Americans, at an estimated cost in 2008 alone of more than $600 billion.
Millions of Americans receive health insurance through other federal and state health insurance plans. For example, millions of federal and state government employees, retirees and families have health insurance coverage paid for with taxpayer funds. Members of the armed forces and their families also receive health insurance through government programs. These programs cost federal and state taxpayers billions of dollars each year.
One of the primary reasons for the rise in health care costs has been the large degree of fraud committed against these government health care programs. Billions of dollars in health care fraud have already been exposed, largely through the efforts of qui tam whistleblowers acting under federal and state false claims acts. According to several studies, billions of dollars in additional fraud, however, remain undetected. The substantial level of health care fraud is one of the main reasons why the United States Government Accounting Office has labeled the Medicare program a “high-risk program.”
Due to the shear volume of health care claims submitted on behalf of the millions of Americans insured under these programs, the Government alone cannot effectively combat health care fraud. Whistleblowers acting under federal and state false claims acts have proven to be the Government's best weapon in detecting and pursing healthcare fraud. Whistleblowers are often in the best position to detect fraudulent conduct and to bring it to light by filing a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the government.
If you know someone committing Medicare Fraud against the Government, call out fraud hotline at 917-519-8417 for a confidential consultation.
