False Claims By Kristen Pelot If you are working at an office and the physician asks you to complete and send a billing claim to the insurance carrier for a procedure that you do not think he performed it would be considered a false claim. The False Claims Act is federal legislation that encourages people, called whistle-blowers, to come forward and report fraud by giving the whistle-blower a financial incentive. The legislation also provides for attorney fees and expenses separately, so the amount granted to a whistle-blower is the amount a whistle-blower keeps. There are two ways to report fraud. The first, and least preferable, is by an anonymous tip. By submitting an anonymous tip, your information is going to be on the low end of priorities. It may never be reviewed for a number of reasons, from lack of credibility to incomplete information.
If, however, you do decide to take this route, I would recommend that you spend both the time and money required to submit a detailed explanation. Include examples of the fraud being committed, including copies of documents. The more information you submit, the more likely it will be investigated. You can report fraud, anonymously, to one of two entities:
Office of Inspector General
Department of Health and Human Services
Attention: Hotline
PO Box 23489
Washington, DC 20026

You can also call OIG and speak with someone and still remain anonymous. 800-447-8477. You can call or mail in a