CMS aims to stop provider identity theft

With a careful eye on fraud and abuse, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has created the provider victim validation/remediation initiative to help prevent medical fraud. The initiative helps providers who have suffered financial liabilities as a result of thieves stealing their personal information to reap Medicare payments.

"Identity theft can be devastating for physicians--consuming significant time and financial resources," said the American Medical Association President Dr. Peter W. Carmel in an American Medical News article. With the new initiative, CMS contractors will investigate identity theft and help restore provider integrity. Article