Various fraud and abuse cases in the healthcare industry have led to severe punishment of culprits, such as incarceration. Corruption cases in healthcare have become rampant in the US, making these illegal activities the top-listed loophole in the industry (Johns Hopkins Healthcare, n.d). Bible scriptures disregard fraudulent and abusive actions by pinning them with dire consequences. Therefore, fraud and abuse in healthcare are despicable acts that merit harsh punishment, which is reinforced in the scriptures.
Fraud is a financial deception whereby misrepresented billings are authorized for reimbursement. An example of a fraud case is the 325 million healthcare corruption scheme involving a Texas physician, Jorge Zamora-Quezada, (The United States Department of Justice, 2020). Doctor Zamora falsely diagnosed patients with chronic diseases and made him get millions of dollars unlawfully, putting this crime in the fraud category. Proverbs 15:27 asserts, “Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his household, but he who hates bribes will live” (King James Bible, 2017). This scripture quotation depicts Dr. Zamora’s current life from a respected doctor to a fugitive who has left his family in despair.
Sometimes, criminal behaviors in healthcare can be due to selfish practices resulting in the abuse of patients. Abuse is the inappropriate professional conduct of providing unnecessary medical services to patients (Johns Hopkins Healthcare, n.d). An example is when Mashiyat Rashid, a former manager at Tri-County wellness Group approved a corporate policy that allowed patients to be administered an unnecessary back injection of opioids to increase their medical bills. He pleaded guilty, was charged with four counts of abuse, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison (The United States Department of Justice, 2022). As Proverbs 21:6 mentions, “Fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare” King James Bible (2017). This verse indicates that wealth acquired through crime brings despair and regrets, which can be life-changing.
References
Johns Hopkins Healthcare. (n.d). Health Care Fraud and Abuse.Web.
King James Bible (2017). Web.
The United States Department of Justice. (2020). Texas doctor found guilty for role in $325 million health care fraud scheme involving false diagnoses of life-long diseases. Web.
The United States Department of Justice. (2022). 16 defendants, including 12 physicians, sentenced to prison for distributing 6.6 million opioid pills and submitting $250 million in false billings. Web.