The Drug Enforcement Administration and CMS are warning physicians of targeted scams that use “deceptive schemes” and other methods to access medical records, personal information and fraudulently obtain payments.
One scheme involves scammers impersonating DEA agents and telling physicians they are under investigation, according to a July 24 release from the American Medical Association. The DEA said both DEA-registrant and nonregistrant physicians have been contacted via letters and phone calls in this scam.
In another scheme, Medicare providers and suppliers are contacted and asked to submit medical records or pay alleged Medicare debts.
“CMS generally doesn’t initiate audits via fax or email unless a provider requests it,” an alert on the CMS website states. “Medicare overpayment collections are handled through an established process through the Medicare Administrative Contractors.”
CMS recommends physicians avoid responding to suspicious requests and instead consult with their Medical Review Contractor to confirm legitimacy. The DEA told the AMA that incidents can be reported to the FBI or the Federal Trade Commission, which shares the information with more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies.
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