A reader who wishes to remain anonymous writes, “Chris, I worked in the accounting department of a health care provider. Last year, my company discovered it had been using the wrong billing code for a key service when submitting Medicare reimbursement requests. This resulted in the government paying substantially more for the service than it should have. My supervisor directed me to compile a list of the overcharges for senior management. The company remedied the error for new reimbursement requests but never informed the government of the overpayments.
Two weeks ago, I sent an email to my supervisor asking why the company had not reported the billing error. I was told the matter had been resolved and not to raise the issue again. I would know if the company reimbursed Medicare for the overcharges. No payment was made. Last week, I was laid off without notice. I believe it was because I complained about the Medicare overcharges. I did not have a contract and they refused to give me any severance pay. What can I do?”
