Collectively, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice work to reduce healthcare fraud and investigate dishonest providers and suppliers. This year alone, the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team has recovered nearly $3 billion in fraud. Additionally, there are aggressive strategies to eliminate Medicare prescription fraud. Patients who abuse or sell painkillers they receive by visiting multiple doctors and obtaining multiple prescriptions cost Medicare millions every year. Fraud affects everyone, and preventing it requires government officials and citizens to work together diligently. Medicare Insurance Fraud Protection Medicare provides health coverage to individuals over the age of 65, as well as others who meet certain criteria. The government funds Medicare through the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administration and spends billions on the program each year. Fraud is rampant throughout the healthcare program due to the enormous amount of money spent and the large number of people enrolled in the program. Fighting fraud of this nature requires diligence on everyone's part. Protecting yourself means understanding what constitutes fraud, identifying it, noticing suspicious practices, and taking preventative measures. Fraud Medicare fraud occurs when healthcare providers, suppliers, and private companies charge for services or supplies that patients never receive. Additionally, abuse of the Medicare program also occurs because doctors and providers do not always follow best medical practices, which leads to excessive costs through improper payments or medically unnecessary services, both of which abuse the program. Conservative estimates suggest that... middle of paper... treats patients. Help put an end to healthcare fraud by identifying, reporting and preventing it from happening. Works Cited Fraud Information. (n.d.). Retrieved from Stop Medicare Fraud U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Justice: http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/aboutfraud/index.htmlBaum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman, P.C. ( 2010, November). How Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Affect You. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from Whistleblower Claims Qui Tam Litigation: http://whistleblower-claims.com/government-healthcare-fraud.phpDepartment of Health and Human Services. (2011, October 1). Protect Medicare and you from fraud. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from Medicare.gov The official US government site for Medicare: https://www.medicare.gov/Library/PDFNavigation/PDFInterim.asp?Language=English&Type=Pub&PubID=10111