The Government Accountability Office cannot fully calculate the amount of Medicare and Medicaid fraud, as it is difficult to detect, according to The Daily Caller.
Here are five highlights:
1. Some providers engaging in fraud often submit a claim that appears legitimate, but then bill for services they did not provide or bill for services more complicated than the actual service provided, according to GAO Healthcare Director Kathleen King.
2. Fraudulent billing accounts for nearly 42 percent of convictions and judgments, and is deemed the most prevalent form of healthcare fraud.
3. Due to the fraud's complexity, Ms. King said there is not one single solution to combat healthcare fraud.
4. In 2015, the Medicaid Fraud Control Units recovered almost $745 million.
5. Each year, the federal government spends more than $845 billion on Medicare and Medicaid.
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