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AAHomecare Issues Statement About 'Dead-Doctor' Scam
Even as home care respiratory therapists were battling the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) on its memo regarding potential fraud, the American Association for Homecare was standing up for the industry against the latest fraud scam to hit the news — the 'dead-doctor' scam.
AAHomecare reported that scam artists had used identification numbers from deceased doctors to defraud the Medicare system out of millions of dollars. Tyler Wilson, president and CEO of AAHomecare, said that the industry is "just as appalled as lawmakers and Medicare officials."
In the statement, Tyler renewed AAHomecare's commitment to exposing fraud and abuse and its eagerness to work with lawmakers to improve Medicare program integrity. "We must also be clear, however, that it was lax oversight by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that allowed the dead-doctor scams to operate," he said. "We fully support comprehensive efforts to keep supplier billing numbers out of the hands of these scam artists. Moreover, it must also be noted that these criminals are not members of our association and are not part of the legitimate home care industry that is committed to providing Medicare beneficiaries with quality service and products."
To help CMS address fraud and abuse, AAHomecare outlined the following guidelines:
• The guiding principle should be to provide Medicare beneficiaries with medical equipment technology and therapies that are medically necessary and appropriate to give the patient a fuller, more satisfying and healthier life.
• Medicare coverage, coding, reimbursement and documentation policies as well as standards for quality should be clear and unambiguous. The organization reiterated its support of accreditation and quality standards, including standards much more stringent than the ones currently being implemented.
• The Medicare program has numerous anti-fraud and abuse safeguards in place that must be more effectively enforced.
