#Middlebury #Veterans #Fraud
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
There are only so many tax dollars to go around to provide services and benefits to veterans. When thieves cut into that money by taking what they’re not entitled to, it harms the rest of us. You can help by keeping your eyes open, and then reporting what you see to the correct people if you spot a scam.
Education benefits fraud can occur when a school charges veterans a higher rate than what is advertised or what they charge civilian students. They might offer discounts to civilians while billing the Department of Veterans Affairs for higher amounts. Students are told they don’t even have to go to class, and no actual skills are being taught.
Health care fraud can include billing for services the veteran didn’t receive (check your explanation of benefits and your bills) or include the name of a different doctor or even the wrong dates the services were supposedly provided.
Medical identity theft can include the above, but gets worse when you discover errors in your medical file or when collection agencies start to hound you for medical bills you didn’t incur.
Genetic testing scams can be lucrative for thieves, partially because of the kickbacks involved. Beware especially if you get a request for your personal information – including medical, personal and financial – for tests your doctor didn’t order.
Keep an eye on what goes on around you for things such as: It looks as though a deceased veteran’s benefits are being used by others, a veteran has a maxed-out 100% disability rating but doesn’t seem to be getting any care for it or a beneficiary is too physically active for the supposed disability level.
What I’ve written about here is only the tip of the iceberg. To read about even more signs and indicators of fraud and theft, check the VAOIG’s web page: www.va.gov/oig/fraud/default.asp. Scroll through each section and become familiar with the signs of fraud. You could end up saving the VA massive amounts of money.
© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
