What term is used to describe billing for services not rendered?

The term that describes billing for services not rendered is healthcare fraud. This involves intentional deceit in the healthcare system to gain payment or other benefits. Fraudulent billing practices can include charging for procedures, tests, or treatments that were never performed on a patient. It is a serious violation of legal and ethical standards in healthcare, leading to significant consequences for both providers and patients.

While healthcare abuse and other terms relate to improper practices within the healthcare system, they differ. Healthcare abuse often refers to practices that result in unnecessary costs but may not involve intentional deceit, such as billing for excessive services. Upcoding refers specifically to billing for a higher level of service than was actually provided, which may also involve fraud but is a more specific type of fraudulent action. Optimization generally pertains to improving systems or processes rather than fraudulent activity. Therefore, healthcare fraud appropriately captures the essence of billing for services that were never rendered.