Final answer:
To prevent Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA), it is crucial to verify information, report suspicious activity, avoid unethical conduct, and work with legitimate companies while protecting personal information. Understanding and abiding by healthcare regulations can also assist in preventing FWA in the healthcare industry.
Step-by-step explanation:
To help prevent Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (FWA), one should engage in proactive behaviors like verifying all information provided to you and being vigilant by reporting suspicious activity. Ignoring suspicious activity, conducting yourself unethically, and avoiding coordination with other payers are actions that could contribute to FWA, and hence, are practices to avoid. To prevent fraud or being victimized in a job scam for example, it's important to only apply to companies that appear legitimate, be cautious with your personal information, and be skeptical of unsolicited job offers. Additionally, always trust your gut if an offer sounds too good to be true.
In accordance with moral standards, and to avoid issues like moral hazard and adverse selection, individuals should also be mindful about partaking in practices such as plagiarism, cheating, and misrepresentation of facts. Similarly, practices such as regularly monitoring your credit history and providing only the minimum necessary personal information also contribute to safeguarding against identity theft and other fraud-related issues.
In the realm of healthcare, understanding programs like Medicare and Medicaid, as well as regulations such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare), is essential to navigating services and avoiding FWA. Healthcare providers are encouraged to adopt practices that prevent FWA in their billing, which often involves fee-for-service models, wherein they are paid for each service provided to a patient.