{"title":"Fraud in Genetic Testing: Swindling the System.","authors":"Rachel Notestine, Claire N Singletary, Meagan Choates, Stephanie Gandomi, Molly Daniels, Rebecca Lunstroth, Quinn Stein","doi":"10.1016/j.gim.2024.101248","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Healthcare fraud comprises a sizable portion of United States healthcare expenditure and inflicts undue burden on payors, patients, and the healthcare system overall. The genetic testing industry is rapidly growing which propagates opportunities for healthcare fraud. Although federal organizations have highlighted it as an issue, there is limited research exploring genetic testing fraud.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective review of federal websites, news articles, and a legal database resulted in 42 cases of fraud involving outpatient genetic testing published between February 2019 and December 2023. These cases were analyzed for themes via inductive conventional content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Themes of fraudulent activity included submission of fraudulent claims, kickback or bribe payments, minimal or no contact with patients for which testing was ordered, inappropriate billing and documentation practices, and further actions to conceal fraud. Repercussions imposed on defendants included monetary penalty, imprisonment, business restrictions, and seizure of property.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>High rates of medically inappropriate testing in fraud cases highlight the value of genetics experts in ordering or reviewing claims for genetic testing. Examining fraudulent activity in genetic testing can help providers identify and report fraud, and provide awareness of optimal healthcare allocation in the genetic testing industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":12717,"journal":{"name":"Genetics in Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":6.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Genetics in Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gim.2024.101248","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GENETICS & HEREDITY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose: Healthcare fraud comprises a sizable portion of United States healthcare expenditure and inflicts undue burden on payors, patients, and the healthcare system overall. The genetic testing industry is rapidly growing which propagates opportunities for healthcare fraud. Although federal organizations have highlighted it as an issue, there is limited research exploring genetic testing fraud.
Methods: A retrospective review of federal websites, news articles, and a legal database resulted in 42 cases of fraud involving outpatient genetic testing published between February 2019 and December 2023. These cases were analyzed for themes via inductive conventional content analysis.
Results: Themes of fraudulent activity included submission of fraudulent claims, kickback or bribe payments, minimal or no contact with patients for which testing was ordered, inappropriate billing and documentation practices, and further actions to conceal fraud. Repercussions imposed on defendants included monetary penalty, imprisonment, business restrictions, and seizure of property.
Conclusion: High rates of medically inappropriate testing in fraud cases highlight the value of genetics experts in ordering or reviewing claims for genetic testing. Examining fraudulent activity in genetic testing can help providers identify and report fraud, and provide awareness of optimal healthcare allocation in the genetic testing industry.
期刊介绍:
Genetics in Medicine (GIM) is the official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. The journal''s mission is to enhance the knowledge, understanding, and practice of medical genetics and genomics through publications in clinical and laboratory genetics and genomics, including ethical, legal, and social issues as well as public health.
GIM encourages research that combats racism, includes diverse populations and is written by authors from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.