How can you help prevent benefits fraud?
March is Fraud Prevention Month in Canada. Benefits fraud is a leading contributor to rising plan costs and has serious consequences. While The Co-operators is dedicated to finding new ways to detect benefits fraud and maintaining a process to ensure accuracy and protection, you and your plan members are key to prevention.
Plan sponsors can help plan members understand how to correctly use their plan; the consequences of fraudulent plan use; and, how to report fraudulent activity. While it’s crucial that plan sponsors take time to educate their plan members and raise awareness, it’s also necessary that plan members take appropriate steps to keep themselves protected.
Plan members can help prevent fraudulent activity by:
- Understanding the coverage and how to use their benefits
- Not sharing their benefits plan information
- Keeping their benefits card in a secure place
- Ensuring receipts reflect the treatment or service received
- Alerting the plan sponsor to providers who routinely inflate charges to include the co-payment or deductible amounts
- Reporting any activity they suspect may be fraudulent.
Plan sponsors can report fraudulent activity by contacting The Co-operators Group Client Service Centre at 1-800-667-8164 or Group_Claims_Specialist@Cooperators.ca.
Fraud can also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.
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