7 Scams To Be Aware Of When Contracting In-Home Health Care

Waiving Deductibles

A major red flag when trying to find a good health care provider is the promise of waiving insurance deductibles. Most insurance companies and government care plans do not allow medical professionals to waive the deductible or co-payments, however, those health care providers who waive the deductible often file claims to insurance companies of false services in order to make up the difference in payments. Many providers who have been caught in this act justify the behavior by stating they are just assisting a patient who is unable to pay their medical bills.

Identity Theft & Licensing

Some in-home health care services will provide 'free' services in exchange for the patient's Medicare card number or other personal information such as social security number, or credit card numbers. These in-home health care services are looking to steal the identity of the patient to file false claims, to purchase things in their name, or to reroute their social security checks.

Ensure the in-home health care provider you are considering is licensed with the state and they are able to provide not only the licensing documents but also references from other patients that are in similar situations.