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Jeutnarg t1_iujwkru wrote

Reply to comment by blorpblorpbloop in A billing expert investigated her husband's ER bill. She was able to knock thousands off the charge. by 11ej25

It's not legally fraud if it's a simple accident. In my state, it has to be done "intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence" to count like that. That's just one state, but it's probably similar in most US jurisdictions.

Now, if they try to keep it after becoming fully aware of the situation, you could be looking at a crime.

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PA2SK t1_iuk5c7t wrote

The thing is it probably is intentional, or at the very least willfully ignorant, but proving that would be next to impossible without a whistleblower. It seems like hospitals routinely issue outrageous bills and then chalk it up to a "mistake" when they're called out on it. The strategy seems to be to pad the bill as much as possible and then let the insurance company/patient argue it down if they're so inclined.

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[deleted] t1_iuk4jw7 wrote

[removed]

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GoBanana42 t1_iuk7kr0 wrote

A mistake or typo on a bill is not the same as ignorance of the law.

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Unsteady_Tempo t1_iuk870i wrote

See also discrimination. A business can have a pattern of discrimination due to institutionalized policies and practices and not because any one individual is making a conscious, nefarious decision to discriminate against a protected class

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