Reporting Fraud, Waste and Abuse
Arizona Complete Health is serious about finding and reporting times that Arizona Medicaid funds are used in the wrong way. This is called fraud, waste, or abuse.
Fraud means to knowingly get benefits or payments that you are not entitled to receive by means of deception or misrepresentation. Please let us know if you are aware of someone who is committing fraud. This could be a provider or a member. Some examples of health care fraud include:
- Lying on an insurance application
- Using someone else's ID card to get medical services
- A provider (doctor) billing for services that were not done
- Non-Emergency Transportation (usage abuse)
Waste is the overuse of services that may result in additional costs not needed for health care benefits. This includes direct costs and indirect costs. Waste usually results from the misuse of services.
Abuse is actions that may result in unnecessary costs not needed for health care benefits. This includes direct costs and indirect costs. Abuse involves payment for items or services when there is no legal reason to pay for them.
Absolutely anyone can report fraud, abuse, or member abuse. There are no restrictions.
You can contact AHCCCS or your Health Plan to report Provider or Member Fraud as follows:
- AHCCCS Office of Inspector General (OIG)
- In Arizona: 602-417-4045
- Outside of Arizona: 888-ITS-NOT-OK (888-487-6686)
- Arizona Complete Health: 1-888-788-4408
- You can email the AHCCCS OIG at AHCCCSFraud@azahcccs.gov
- You can email your health plan at AZCHFWA@azcompletehealth.com
You can also report to AHCCCS directly using their online form: Report Member, Provider, or Contractor Suspected Fraud or Abuse of the Program.
To report waste, abuse, or fraud, gather as much information as possible.
When reporting about a provider (a doctor, dentist, counselor, etc.) include:
- Name, address, and phone number of provider
- Name and address of the facility (hospital, nursing home, home health agency, etc.)
- Medicaid number of the provider and facility, if you have it
- Type of provider (doctor, dentist, therapist, pharmacist, etc.)
- Names and phone numbers of other witnesses who can help in the investigation
- Dates of events
- Summary of what happened
When reporting about someone who gets benefits, include:
- The person’s name
- The person’s date of birth, Social Security Number, or case number if you have it
- The city where the person lives
- Specific details about the waste, abuse, or fraud