OIG warns of RPM scam
By HME News Staff
Updated 9:17 AM CST, Mon November 27, 2023
WASHINGTON – The Office of Inspector General has posted a consumer alert about a fraud scheme involving monthly billing for remote patient monitoring. The OIG says unscrupulous companies are signing up Medicare beneficiaries for monitoring using medical devices like scales, glucose monitors, blood pressure cuffs, cardiac rhythm devices and other equipment, regardless of medical necessity. The agency says these companies are signing up bennies for these services in several ways, including phone solicitations (“cold calling”), Internet ads (“click bait”) or TV advertising. “These contacts may originate from a DME company or pharmacy,” the OIG says. “Equipment may or may not be sent or is equipment that is not (approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration). Billing then occurs for setup, patient teaching and monthly monitoring of data. More often, the monthly monitoring never happens, but the enrollee is billed monthly, anyway.” The OIG recommends that bennies protect themselves by, among other things, not accepting medical equipment that hasn’t been ordered by their health care provider and being suspicious of anyone who offers them free medical equipment and then requests their Medicare number. The agency acknowledges that, when used properly, remote patient monitoring is beneficial for those whose condition might deteriorate quickly, where monitoring can reduce complications, hospitalizations or death.
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