Most things in life have been paused in one way or another by the coronavirus pandemic. Whether that’s sport, entertainment, construction or even something as simple as going to the shops, social distancing has slowed so many things down. Yet the justice system’s ability to prosecute those allegedly abusing the healthcare system for financial gain shows now signs of slowing.
A quick search for the term “healthcare fraud” on Google will bring up dozens of new news articles every week. When you look at the numbers involved, it’s clear to see why they’re getting the press’ attention. Just recently the local press in Mississippi reported on a case that saw three men gain more than $400 million from insurers. They now face years in prison for their crimes.
Technology will make it even easier
The coronavirus might be having an affect on traditional detective work, but now we live in a digital world, law enforcement agencies have a new tool at their disposal. As most transactions are now done completely online, criminals seemingly have nowhere to hide. In fact those abusing the healthcare system could soon be caught without any human interaction at all.
A new artificial intelligence platform that can investigate healthcare fraud and abuse has been developed by a company called FraudScope. Although many may be skeptical about just how effective a computer programmer can be at outsmarting career criminals, the system has already raised over $10 million in funding.
Defending our doctors
Now there is a new technology to scrutinize the legitimacy of every insurance claim, medical staff will be more concerned than ever about the threat of being investigated. Many members of staff could find themselves under attack for simply trying to help a patient. That’s why it’s so important that for every innovation made to target doctors, there are people working to defend those who are unfairly scrutinized. Law firms like Healthcare Fraud Group defense lawyer Birmingham AL are experienced in dealing with exactly these types of claims. Lawyers like these know that even the most minor of investigations can have a huge effect on someone’s career that they have worked on for decades, not to mention their mental health and family life.
Continuing to hit the headlines
You may be wondering why healthcare fraud continues to hit the headlines despite more pressing issues for health staff, for example having to deal with the worst global pandemic of many peoples lives. The main reason is that the government continues to claim that it is one of the biggest threats to affordable healthcare in America. The Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program’s Annual report claimed to have found $2.6 billion of fraud in 2019 alone. As long as the U.S. Attorney General and central government can claim that such a huge amount of money is being lost, then there will be huge scrutiny in the industry. What’s worse is that the number continues to increase year on year, so this trend shows no sign of slowing anytime soon.
