Feds warn hospitals over Medicare fraud

CBS

(AP) WASHINGTON - Computerized medical records were supposed to cut costs. Now the Obama administration is warning hospitals that might be tempted to use the technology for gaming the system.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder issued the warning Monday in a letter to hospital trade associations, following media reports of alleged irregularities.

The letter said there were indications that some providers were using computerized records technology to possibly obtain payments to which they were not entitled. It raised the threat of prosecution.

Among the practices under scrutiny is what's called "upcoding" — or raising the severity of a patient's condition to get more money.

Hospitals say part of the problem is that Medicare has lagged in updating billing guidelines for emergency room and clinic visits.

Polls: Obama has an edge over Romney on Medicare
Analysts: 6M to be penalized under new health law
Premiums for family health plans hit $15,745

[Goldwater64s6]

If my choices for health insurance were between the Mafia and Blue Cross and Blue Shield, I would choose the Mafia.

[donretired]

Sorry received the information from another site. Really don't know what to believe anymore. The politicians will not release any information. I hope you are right. Thank you for correction.

[sjc_1]

This is FRAUD and is criminally prosecuted with jail time. Think about that the next time you "upcode".

[sjc_1]

Upcoding occurs everywhere in medicine, public or private. There are software packages that claim to increase your revenue whether private practice or hospital.

They copy and paste a treatment from a former patient that was approved for payment so that it looks legitimate. It IS a criminal offense, they WILL be prosecuted.

[davidd5063]

Rural America has been voting to slit it's own throat for 30 years now, and current polls show they're up to the same old trick again. It's time for the "liberal" cities to get their hand off the knife and let rural America BLEED OUT because trying to save them from themselves is a complete waste of time and money.

[davidd5063]

THIS is the great HIDDEN problem in Medicare. All of these rural "regional" medical centers that have popped up all over the place to service the fact that rural America is now a RETIREMENT COMMUNITY, do NOT have any customers EXCEPT Medicare recipients so they have to fund their ENTIRE operation on the Federal budget. That's right, the problem with Medicare is just like the problem with entitlements and welfare - productive cities sending WAAAAY too much revenue to rural sink holes where the economy can NEVER improve because the vast majority of the people are retirees.

[donretired]

November 6, 2012 will be the most important date that will affect the rest of your life ... The Choice Is Yours.
A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield
Professor Emeritus John W. Hill, JD, PhD
Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
[e-mail]
MEDICARE
Look clearly at the 2014 rate compared to the 2013 rate.

For those of you who are on Medicare, read the following. It's short, but
important and you probably haven't heard about it in the Mainstream News:

"The per person Medicare Insurance Premium will increase from the present
Monthly Fee of

$96.40, rising to:

$104.20 in 2012

$120.20 in 2013

And


$247.00 in 2014."


These are Provisions incorporated in the Obamacare Legislation,
purposely
delayed so as not to confuse the 2012 Re-Election Campaigns.
Send this to
all Seniors that you know, so they will know who's throwing them under the
bus.
Peggy Riehle
Internal Representative
Network Contracting
205-220-6778
PASS THIS ON ON ALL.

[cubscout09]

Nope, this is spam.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/medical/medicare.asp

[JoeBGud13]

This "Statement" is entirely FALSE Per SNOPES.COM.

LIAR, LIAR PANTS ON FIRE Started by a pro GOP GROUP!

Thank you fo the amusement! Try Growing up and use some REAL Facts not made up.