Contractors warn docs of DME scams
By HME News Staff
Updated Thu March 20, 2014
WASHINGTON - The DME MAC medical directors say they are fielding frequent complaints from doctors who are the targets of DME marketing schemes.
The medical directors reminded physicians in a recent letter that they can report suspected abuse to the Office of Inspector General (OIG).
“Most of these scams are obvious in their wording or their attempts to get you to approve unnecessary medical equipment and supplies,” the letter states.
Common scams, according to the letter: unsolicited orders for medical equipment or supplies, often claiming a patient asked the supplier to contact the doctor; advertisements saying Medicare will pay physicians for patient referrals; and pre-completed medical necessity forms with instructions to sign and date.
The medical directors have asked doctors to pay careful attention to orders asking for their signatures. They recommend that doctors be skeptical of unsolicited orders for patients no longer in their practices and document medical justification for any DME item ordered for a patient.
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