5 Not-So-Merry Tales Of Healthcare Fraud Dark Side

It’s December, the time of holiday cheer, but for victims of healthcare fraud and medical identity theft, the season is not a happy one. The news is full of dishonest people making patients sicker and healthcare costlier.

A quick scan of the headlines pulls up some stories that you have to read to believe.

1. Wanted: Medicaid number to rent
Linda Radeker, a mental-health practitioner enrolled with North Carolina Medicaid, “rented out” her Medicaid provider number to co-conspirators, keeping up to 50 percent of the fraudulent reimbursements. On the false claims, her cohorts in crime mainly used the Medicaid numbers of children whose parents believed were participating in after-school programs — programs owned and operated by these fraudsters. Radekar has been ordered to pay more than $6 million in restitution to Medicaid, according to the IRS.