• 27 Jun 2012

From Drugs to Wheelchairs: White Paper Sounds Alarm About Growing Presence of Organized Crime in Healthcare Fraud

New technology helps to thwart crime groups from defrauding Medicare and Medicaid

Eagan, Minn., June 27, 2012 – The Fraud Prevention & Investigation unit of Thomson Reuters has released a white paper that explores the growing presence of organized crime groups in healthcare fraud.

The white paper offers an overview of the growing problem of healthcare fraud in the United States, the cost of which is estimated by Thomson Reuters to be $150 billion annually, and the disturbing trend of organized crime groups and gangs in perpetuating complex schemes to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. 

The free, in-depth white paper, titled “From Drugs to Wheelchairs: New Technology Fights the Growing Menace of Organized Crime in Healthcare Fraud,” offers details about the fight against fraud being mounted by government agencies and federal, state and local law enforcement. It details their use of sophisticated technology such as data mining and predictive analysis using search tools, like the Thomson Reuters product CLEAR for Healthcare Fraud Investigations, to stop organized crime groups.

“Organized crime groups and gangs are turning from drugs to healthcare fraud, and taking with them billions of taxpayer dollars from the healthcare system. They’re lured by the vast amount of money flowing through Medicare and Medicaid, and the relatively low risk of violence,” said Steve Rubley, managing director, Government, Thomson Reuters. “This white paper sheds light on the fight our government is waging against this fraud, and the state-of-the-art technologies that are assisting investigators in this fight.”

At the forefront of that new technology is CLEAR, a powerful, next-generation investigative suite designed for professionals who need intelligent information about people and companies that may be involved with healthcare fraud, waste and abuse.

With a comprehensive collection of public and proprietary records, CLEAR makes investigative work easier by offering a one-stop source with live gateways that provide real-time data for the most current information – as well as historical information on individuals and businesses. 

In addition, CLEAR offers an integrated provider content set, including NPI (National Provider Identifier) numbers, state and federal sanction data, and expanded professional licenses across all states; access to all data from one search, reducing time spent running redundant searches; expanded search capabilities across the Web; graphical connections between people, businesses, addresses, and phone numbers; and customizable Provider Comprehensive Reports to create and save for later use or share with others on an investigative team. 

The results of those investigations can help law enforcement and government agencies identify and intercept people and organizations intent on defrauding Medicare and Medicaid, and can help recover the billions of dollars stolen from the U.S. healthcare system.

To request a free copy of the white paper, please send an email to clear@thomsonreuters.com.

Thomson Reuters
Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial and risk, legal, tax and accounting, intellectual property and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs approximately 60,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

Contacts

Megan Gustafson
Thomson Reuters
+1.651.848.9043
Megan.gustafson@thomsonreuters.com

Next Steps