How Do You Report Medicare Fraud?

Medicare is a health insurance program started by the government to help people over the age of 65. Medicare fraud refers to when a person is receiving Medicare benefits on your behalf without informing you. Medicare fraud is the easiest form of fraud which is being committed on a large scale in the United States of America. It is better to hire a lawyer in such situations. The lawyer will do all the needful. You can also report such fraud to your local police station. You can also report it to your Medicare intermediary or call the National Fraud and Abuse Hotline on 1-800-447-8477.

The Medicare beneficiary has the most important role in reporting and bringing Medicare fraud to book.  When you receive the Medicare Summary Notice, you have to make sure that you understand all the items listed. If you think that there is a discrepancy with a certain procedure listed, you should call any of the three -the Medicare provider, the supplier listed on the Medicare Summary Notice or the physician. If the answers provided are not satisfactory and you still smell fraud, then you should bring the issue to the notice of the Medicare Company, in writing.

Read the Summary Notice properly before contacting the Medicare with your complaint. While reporting for the fraud, write down:
• The date of the Medicare Summary Notice
• The provider's name and other identifying information.
• The amount approved and compensated by Medicare
• The date on which the service was furnished.
• The name and Medicare number of the individual who supposedly received the service.
• Your reasons as to why Medicare should not have been disbursed.
• Any other information that shows that the claim should not have been paid.
• State clearly in your correspondence that you are registering a fraud complaint.


There is a hotline too which takes calls on 'fraud reporting.' Here are the contact details:
By phone- 1-800-447-8477
Email: HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov (Mention 'fraud reporting' in the subject line).
Address: Office of the Inspector General
HHS TIPS Hotline
P.O. Box 23489
Washington, DC 20026  
Fax number: -800-223-2164