AMA responds to HCFA’s ‘senior cop’ effort
July 1, 1999 2 minutes read
AMA responds to HCFA’s senior cop’ effort
Letter states the physician case
The American Medical Association has started a counteroffensive against a federal effort that recruits the elderly to watch their doctors for fraud and abuse activities.
Reacting to the Health Care Financing Admini stration and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) joint effort to recruit and educate seniors to spot and report questionable Medicare billing practices by their physicians, the Ameri can Medical Association has responded with an "open letter" of its own that is it encouraging doctors to send to patients.
"The letter is intended to show that physicians are concerned about true’ fraud, while educating patients about the effects of burdensome Medicare regulations and overzealous fraud activities," says AMA spokesman Robert Mills.
Objecting to a simplistic approach’
The letter says that while physicians are concerned about Medicare fraud, doctors are also "concerned about the simplistic approach the federal government is currently taking towards addressing Medicare fraud. In press releases and policies, the federal government frequently lumps honest billing mistakes together with intentional fraud. The result is that the patient-physician relationship is harmed and physicians are buried in paperwork.
"As you know, Medicare is extremely complicated. Today, physicians must comply with more than 100,000 pages of Medicare rules and regulations. As a result of the complexity of the program, billing errors do occur. My first and foremost duty is to provide you with the best medical care.
"AMA physicians are urging the federal government to simplify Medicare regulations and to educate physicians on what we need to do to comply with the requirements. We are hopeful that the federal government will tone down its rhetoric that labels honest physicians as criminals, and instead focus on identifying those individuals who are truly committing intentional fraud and bilking the taxpayers.
"Inadvertent billing errors are bound to occur in a program as complex as Medicare. Like most physicians, I am trying my best to comply with the extremely complicated Medicare program. If you believe you have found an error, please bring it to my attention. I want to be helpful and answer your questions. You should feel confident and comfortable about the medical care that you receive from me. Thank you for listening to my concerns. I am always available to listen to yours."
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