title: Fed up with fraud.
abstract: The national cost of health care reached 1.9 trillion dollars in 2004, or 6280 dollars for every man, woman, and child in the United States. And, although they are the exception rather than the norm, individuals intent on committing fraud and abuse are not far behind. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the estimated annual loss to the government and health insurers from fraud continues to exceed 100 billion dollars. In a recent semiannual report to Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General announced expected recoveries of 1.02 billion dollars for the first half of fiscal year 2006. At this rate, less than 5 percent of the losses from fraud and abuse are recovered annually.
authors.affiliation: HIP Health Plan of New York, USA.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maiorana
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005607:Fraud / Q000191:economics* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007348:Insurance, Health; D014481:United States