Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Health care fraud is when someone lies or cheats to get money from health insurance. This can happen when doctors or other health care workers charge for services they didn't really do, or when people pretend to be sick to get medicine they don't need. When health care fraud happens, it makes health care more expensive for everyone. The government has laws to try to stop health care fraud, and people who get caught can go to jail or have to pay a lot of money.
Health care fraud is a type of crime where people file dishonest health care claims to make money. There are many different ways that people commit health care fraud. Some examples include:
When someone commits health care fraud, it raises the cost of health care for everyone. In fact, about 10 cents of every dollar spent on health care goes toward paying for fraudulent claims.
There are laws in place to try to prevent health care fraud, and agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Service investigate cases of fraud. If someone is caught committing health care fraud, they could face fines, jail time, and lose their license to practice medicine.
Examples of health care fraud include:
These examples illustrate how people can commit health care fraud in different ways, whether it's by lying about their qualifications or selling drugs illegally. No matter how it's done, health care fraud is a serious crime that hurts everyone.