High health care costs blamed for rise in fraud: last year, fraud cost an estimated $85 billion out of the $1.7 trillion this country spent on health care.(Practice Trends)

Publication: Skin & Allergy News

Publication Date: 01-NOV-04

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COPYRIGHT 2004 International Medical News Group

WASHINGTON -- Health care fraud continues to grow, fueled largely by rising health care expenditures, several experts said at a forum sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

"Unfortunately, health care fraud is alive and well," said Byron Hollis, the Blues' national antifraud director. "But happily, the fight against health care fraud is escalating."

He estimated that last year health care fraud accounted for $85 billion out of the $1.7 trillion this country spent on health care. Blue Cross plans alone recovered about $240 million in payments for fraudulent health care claims.

The federal government also is working hard to stop health care fraud, according to Tim Delaney, who heads the health care fraud unit at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Although much of the fraud...

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