“Healthcare fraud is a significant concern to the medical community, and it takes resources away from patient care as we work to maximize the value of every healthcare dollar,” AMA Chair-elect Ardis Hoven, MD, said in the release “Both patients and physicians have been victims of medical identity theft and other fraudulent schemes, so it’s important that the physicians, insurers and the regulatory and enforcement communities work together to tailor ways to combat fraud.”
Dr. Hoven also said in the release that the AMA will partner with the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice to address concerns over fraud without adding unnecessary to physicians and their practices. One immediate action suggested by the AMA was for the HHS to limit access to physicians’ National Provider Identifiers, which are often misused by criminals, and to set up a national office to help physicians that are victims of identity theft.
Dr. Hoven also noted that the HHS should establish clearly defined goals for the antifraud effort and increase outreach and educational resources for the medical community on antifraud initiatives, including clear steps for reporting fraud, according to the release.
Read the AMA’s release on combating healthcare fraud.
