Do No Harm calls for federal inquiry into Planned Parenthood miscoding claim

The nonprofit Do No Harm has asked the Health and Human Services inspector general to investigate Planned Parenthood over allegations of miscoding medical visits. In a letter dated September 22, the group claimed that Planned Parenthood and its affiliates may be coding visits to make hormone prescriptions for youth appear as routine procedures.

Do No Harm alleges this practice could obscure services related to gender dysphoria and allow private and public insurers to cover treatments that might otherwise be excluded. The group stated that because government-sponsored programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE only reimburse for medically necessary treatments, the alleged miscoding could result in illegal reimbursements. The letter further claims that some Planned Parenthood affiliates and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health have discussed using these strategic coding practices.

The watchdog group described the treatments as having significant and often irreversible risks, noting that available evidence regarding their safety or effectiveness for gender dysphoria is of low to very low quality. Do No Harm also asserted that these procedures are lucrative and can create long-term patients.