HIV/AIDS Medicare Fraud Is Rampant, Panelists Say

Experts attending a roundtable at the 2006 U.S. Conference on AIDS in Hollywood, Fla., concurred that fraudulent Medicare billing for HIV/AIDS treatments is a huge problem. Representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Medicare, the Florida Department of Health, and First Coast Service Options participated in the discussion.

Medicare, said agency investigator Sandra Colón, is responding by taking aggressive measures to stop such fraud. "We're very concerned," she said. "This health care fraud is endangering the health of our beneficiaries."

Roundtable participants described how recruiters visit places like homeless shelters and assisted living facilities to look for persons with HIV/AIDS who have Medicare disability cards. An FBI agent who declined to be identified said recruiters even attend meetings of Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous and visit mental health facilities.

John Marangio, an HIV/AIDS case manager at Positive Healthcare, explained that many patients receive only $603 from the government to live on and are thus tempted by recruiters offering $100 to $300 to go to a clinic for infusion therapy. "I can definitely see the attraction from their point of view," said Marangio, adding that he warns patients against this since any clinic offering bribes to attract patients is not legitimate.

Back to other news for September 26, 2006