Health Care Fraud Protection and Prevention: What Every Employer Should Do

Defrauding the United States' multitrillion-dollar health care system has become a lucrative enterprise across a spectrum ranging from individual practitioners to well-organized professional criminals. The weaker a plan's defenses are, the more appealing a target it will be. This article suggests how plan sponsors can improve their chances to protect themselves -- and participants -- from financial losses and other serious, even life-threatening, harm: 1. Acknowledge the reality of fraud, and understand the plan's exposure. 2. Understand the antifraud landscape. 3. Be an educated shopper and customer.