A healthcare employee who bills people for supplies that were not used is committing what unethical action?

The action of billing individuals for supplies that were not actually used constitutes fraud. Fraud involves deliberately deceiving someone for personal gain, which specifically applies here as the healthcare employee is knowingly charging patients for items or services they did not receive. This not only undermines trust in the healthcare system but also poses ethical and potentially legal violations, indicating a clear intent to mislead for financial benefit.

While misrepresentation could imply a lack of truthfulness, it is typically less severe than fraud and might not necessarily involve the intention to gain from the deception. Negligence generally refers to failure to take proper care in performing a task, which doesn't fully encapsulate the serious deceptive intent involved in billing for unprovided supplies. Omission typically refers to failing to act or report something necessary, which is different from actively engaging in deceitful billing practices. Thus, fraud is the most appropriate term to describe this unethical action.