Final answer:
Abuse in healthcare refers to improper actions that result in unnecessary costs, while fraud is a deliberate attempt to deceive healthcare benefit programs for financial gain. Elder abuse, although involving deliberate harm, specifically refers to the intentional harm or deprivation of care of an elderly person by their caregiver.
Step-by-step explanation:
The difference between abuse and fraud in the context of healthcare benefit programs is based on the intent behind the actions. Abuse refers to actions that are improper or excessive but not necessarily with the deliberate intention to deceive. Examples of abuse might include billing for unnecessary services or charging excessively for services or supplies. On the other hand, fraud is characterized by a willful attempt to deceive and obtain unauthorized benefits. This includes knowingly submitting false claims or making misrepresentations to receive payment for services not rendered. About the provided information on elder abuse, it is important to distinguish that elder abuse involves the intentional deprivation of care or harm to an elderly person by their caregiver. While both elder abuse and healthcare fraud can involve intentional harm or deception, healthcare fraud specifically targets healthcare benefit programs to gain financial advantage. Hence, the correct distinction between abuse and fraud in this context is: Abuse encompasses a range of actions that result in unnecessary costs to healthcare programs, not always with the direct intention to deceive, while fraud involves a deliberate scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program.