To the Editor:

Your article on Medicare compliance (July/August 1998) states that the Office of the Inspector General has targeted duplicate claims and resubmission of unpaid claims. Given that Medicare loses claims and that claims status is only available via the Automated Response Unit, which is frequently down or wrong, I don't see how a provider can avoid filing duplicate claims. It seems that the carriers are incorrect as frequently as the providers, but no one accuses the carriers of fraud.