The laws impacting medical practices have transformed over the years. During the Civil, War items were sold to the Union Army that did not live up to their promises. What was supposed to be boxes of guns turned out to be boxes of saw dust? Overpriced items and poor quality were rampant. One war profiteer who made millions unloading moth-eaten blankets stated: “You can sell anything to the government at almost any price you’ve got the guts to ask”.
This is the link between old moth-eaten blankets and refunds for Medical Practices. The Lincoln Law was enacted to help protect tax dollars. This law included a provision for private citizens to sue on the government’s behalf against anyone defrauding the government. This is also known as the False Claims Act which passed on March 2, 1863.
In 1996 it was first applied to the Medicare program. In 2009 Reverse False Claims provisions were added. Here is where it gets more interesting for Medical Practices. This provision states that any person knowingly concealing or improperly avoiding or decreasing an obligation to the government is liable for False Claims. Medical practices receive payment for Medicare and Medicaid patients daily. When items are over paid and not properly refunded it can be equivalent selling old moth-eaten blankets to the army.
At Medical Management Support Services we make sure the practices we serve are paid quickly and correctly. This also means making sure that refunds are processed and returned to their rightful owner. This not only assures that the practices we serve are properly paid but also helps assure compliance with laws like the Lincoln Law or False Claims Act. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your practice.
