OIG publishes ‘Consumer Alert’ for cath scams
By HME News Staff
Updated 9:26 AM CDT, Mon March 11, 2024
WASHINGTON – The Office of Inspector General is alerting the public about a fraud scheme involving urinary catheters. In a “Consumer Alert,” the agency says scammers are targeting Medicare enrollees through phone calls, Internet ads and text messages with offers of free services, medical equipment or gift cards upon confirming their personal information and eligibility for specific Medicare services. Often, the enticement for the individual is that they are “qualified” for items “at no cost” or “free.” The OIG says, once the scammers obtain the enrollee’s personal information, monthly billing to Medicare will begin for medically unnecessary urinary catheters that may or may not actually be sent to the enrollee. The agency is asking the public to stay alert and report any potentially fraudulent activity along these lines to 1-800-HHS-TIPS. Through tips and complaints, the OIG can document instances of fraud and take the necessary steps to protect enrollees and federal health care programs like Medicare. AAHomecare recently issued a statement affirming its support for the government to implement real-time monitoring of claims to detect potential fraud and abuse in response to news reports of potential Medicare fraud by a handful of intermittent catheter companies.
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