Health Care

by Darwin Corby

It's inevitable that Medicare insurance premiums are going to rise with inflation, but there's actually something we can all do to help lower premiums and costs. While it is a fact that most doctors and health care providers abide by the rules and are reliable, there are also some who milk the system for millions every year. The direct result of this has been an increase in insurance premiums, system wide.

Medicare is the medical insurance program provided through the United States Government. It provides medical insurance coverage for seniors who are 65 and older and those who are disabled even if they are less than 65 years of age under certain conditions. On average over one billion claims are processed every year, and without question it's turned out to be the largest provider of managed health care in the U.S.

The Medicare program is getting more and more involved and complex with every passing year, and recent developments have added an influx of private insurance providers into the mix. Medicare provides coverage to millions of members and manages over a billion claims every year. With these kinds of numbers comes bureaucracy, shortcuts and mistakes. Because of this, Medicare misuse and fraud have become system wide.

Frequently, Medicare mistakes are a result of honest mistakes rather than blatent fraud. There may very well be transcription errors or typographical errors. After all, Government insurance providers are human, and dealing with mistakes where so many forms and paperwork is concerned is fairly normal. In situations like these, it's important that you contact your doctor's office and discuss any mistakes you find.

However, if you discover your physician is actually charging your insurance for services that are free, or if you find that your physician is charging for something that you don't recognize, take a careful look at it. It may be that it is fraud, which happens to be is one of the primary reasons for climbing Medicare premiums.

Medicare Fraud Will Come In Several Different Forms

* You may be charged for services and products that you don't receive. * You could be billed for more services than you are actually provided. * Over-billing or... * Charging for medical supplies and equipment that is actually brought back.

How To Counter Medicare Fraud

Carefully read over all forms and paperwork you get from Medicare for anything that is associated with health care. Essentially, the responsibility is yours to catch omissions, mistakes and even fraud if you suspect it has taken place. By doing this, you contribute to keeping health care premiums lower. Really, we're all in this together.

Rising insurance costs have caused a lot of concern from the government, and they are doing their best to hinder Medicare fraud. As such Medicare providers are dealing just with private health care providers that have shown integrity and trustworthiness. Those who try to cheat the system are being cut off.

The fight is being carried out by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare patients, Medicare service providers like doctors and hospitals as well as law enforcement agencies and consumer protection agencies. You can be part of that by making it a point to review your own medical bills.

The majority of members of Medicare facilities are attentive to statements and bills to fight climbing Medicare premiums. To assist in their efforts you should carefully review your bill for things such as extra charges, an incorrect social security number, services not provided but billed, etc. Those are just a few things that you can look for if you want to help battle Medicare fraud and increasing Medicare premiums.

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About the Author
With 7 years experience exporting Canadian prescription medications, we listen to what our clients have to say. We developed a simplified explaination of what to look for and how to find an appropriate insurance plan