Is Telemedicine Fraud Affecting Doctors?
Technology is constantly changing the way we do things, and the latest innovation is enabling the availability of timely and convenient at-home medical care.
It’s known as telemedicine and it’s a system that allows patients to communicate with and receive a diagnosis and even treatment from medical professionals via phone call.
Of course, there are still certain ailments that require in-person appointments. But for the most part, telemedicine is proving to be very beneficial for those patients who are unable to visit the doctor’s office. As it turns out, there are even third-party telemedicine companies that help doctors to expand their health offerings.
With that said, telemedicine isn’t without its caveats. As with any emerging technology, there are already those who are using this technology for nefarious purposes, and we’re here to not only warn you about these schemes but to show you how they work.
How is Telemedicine Fraud Affecting Doctors?
Telemedicine fraud typically affects patients. However, it can also cast doubt on medical professionals as well.
Just imagine your medical records being shared with third parties without your knowledge or consent, not to mention the possibility of losing money through fraudulent Medicare claims done in your name. this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the downsides of telemedicine fraud.
Doctors who offer telemedicine to out-of-state patients are at risk of losing their license. But, how do you know if the person you’re dealing with is from out of town or not? They might be on the other side of the world for all you know and you would have no idea.
Telemedicine fraud can also show up as excessive opioid prescriptions made in the name of well-meaning doctors who would never dream of harming their patients.
Nevertheless, any doctor who’s implicated in such a scheme stands to face career-jeopardizing repercussions from losing their license to practice, to paying exorbitant fees, criminal charges, etc.
Licensing Limitations
Although telemedicine is legal, doctors are only allowed to practice it in certain contexts and locales.
For instance, if a doctor is only licensed to treat California patients, then he/she cannot treat a patient in Florida because that falls outside of his/her jurisdiction, so to say.
The FDA also has some pretty strict app guidelines that must be followed, not to mention a litany of other regulations that must be followed at both a state and federal level.
The best way to avoid participating in telemedicine fraud is to constantly review the practices of your telemedicine company to make sure that they are compliant.
How to Know If You Were a Victim?
Telemedicine schemes are part and parcel of what a vigilant doctor needs to look out for and constantly filter out of your online messages and emails.
You’ll most probably receive some sort of telemedicine request via these channels and while it might seem attractive to jump on the bandwagon, it’s important to review any claims made and do your due diligence before you sign on.
It’s especially important to pay attention to the validity of any telemedicine service that deals with elderly patients because you can catch a lot of red flags just by checking things like medical activity and type of prescriptions.
If you notice that there’s indeed a scam afoot, then it’s your moral duty to report this or at the very least, not associate your name with it.
Telemedicine fraud is relatively new so there isn’t a lot of information about it. But that’s still no excuse to be complacent. Vigilance and due diligence are required, especially if you’re a medical professional.