2025-31 Pilot 3: Healthcare Fraud and Patient Health Outcomes

This emerging scholar pilot project examines the effects of healthcare fraud and anti-fraud enforcement on patient health outcomes, with a focus on inpatient care. Hospitalizations, particularly the unnecessary use of hospitalization for patients who could have received outpatient care, have been subject to substantial anti-fraud enforcement. Using Medicare data, the study compares hospital care for similar patients before and after the enforcement of an anti-fraud allegation.