Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Physician Note:

Physicians Still Rank High on List of Fraudsters

Plus: New CMS provider call could shed light on billing therapy services.

The percentage of medical practices that were found or pled guilty to Medicare fraud charges is still fairly high, a new report indicates.

In an analysis of Department of Justice and OIG data from 2010, the Government Accountability Office found that 43 medical practices were found or pled guilty or no contest to healthcare fraud, while another 130 medical centers/clinics fell into that category. Combined, these medical facilities make up 18.7 percent of the total number of subjects found or pled guilty or no contest--which is the highest percentage among all provider types.

Coming in a close second were the 171 durable medical equipment suppliers that were found or pled guilty, the GAO says. This category made up 18.5 percent of total guilty subjects.

The report is online at www.gao.gov/assets/660/650341.pdf.

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