Medicaid, Medicare Make Easy Marks for Fraud

Greg Burns of the Chicago Tribune writes that in a troubled economy, cheating Medicare and Medicaid just might be the easiest money anywhere. Recent reports about violent criminals and organized-crime figures putting aside their drug-running enterprises to pose as health care providers only scratch the surface.

Burns continues, some health care fraud is sophisticated and subtle. Some results in bloody crime scenes as hardened criminals enter the racket.

"If you're going to defraud somebody, the government is a reliable payer," said John Blum, a law professor at Loyola University Chicago who specializes in health matters. "Eventually, people like me catch up to you."

Read more about Burns' thoughts on Medicaid and Medicare fraud on his original post here.