Medicare fraud occurs when healthcare providers bill the government for services or supplies that have not been provided. Such fraud is uncontrollable, costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars each year, according to some estimates. In the managed era, accusations of fraud and abuse sometimes involve what are called “kickbacks” or other types of financial arrangements that encourages to order tests, refer patients to favored laboratories or specialty services for financial and not medical reasons. These forms of fraud and abuse have caused the most definitional problems, because many of these relationships and practices are not considered fraud or abuse by those who engage in
