Legal Aspects of Health Care

Legal Aspects of Health Care


Dr. Robert Stokes, a renowned dermatologist, has joined the ranks of many other healthcare professionals. He was implicated in a scheme to defraud the government. Using the Internet and other sources, research the case of Dr. Stokes. After completing your research, please respond to the following questions.
Discuss the case against Dr. Stokes.
What were the actual charges filed against him?
What was the punishment he received, if any? Do you feel the final outcome was justified?
Discuss the actions the state government and federal government later took in response to this case.









Introduction
The motive for healthcare fraud is very clear; it is purely financial. Health care fraud accounts for a significant portion of all claims received by Medicare, costing billions of dollars annually. According to Auerbach and White (2016), healthcare fraud is found in all segments of the healthcare industry and can be accomplished in many ways (Auerbach and White, 2015, Para. 2). Although it can be a range in severity, it affects many patient’s lives, both directly and indirectly. Healthcare fraud occurs when an act is committed with the intent to obtain some benefit for the purpose of financial greed. This problem poses a serious issue in the healthcare industry since it mostly affects the patients who are unsure and unaware of the damage it causes them. In this essay, we will discuss the case against Dr. Stokes, a physician who committed health care fraud against the government and the insurance companies.
Summary
A former licensed and board-certified dermatologist with a thriving dermatology practice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dr. Robert Stokes committed fraud and made millions by adjusting billing procedures and charging patients for unnecessary services that he did not perform. Patients not only found many discrepancies in their billing statements but also that Dr. Stokes reused many of his syringes and instruments without proper sterilization....

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