Grey's Anatomy [1] finales have shown viewers hell [2] over the years with car accidents, plane crashes, and near death experiences. Season 15 [3] takes on the uncharted territory of insurance fraud, which is actually a lot more serious than it sounds. In order for her uninsured and undocumented patient to get surgery, Meredith puts down her daughter's name in the official paperwork. After some inspectors swing by, her new boyfriend DeLuca admits to committing fraud on her behalf [4], possibly losing his licence and going to prison for a felony charge.
Obviously, she won't let Andrew go down with this. So what's going to happen to our dark and twisty surgeon [5]? If you've just finished screaming at sweet DeLuca for being a lovestruck fool, you're not alone. Let's investigate how this messy situation could pan out for Meredith.
I highly doubt that DeLuca will permanently end up in prison and lose his job for Meredith's err in judgment. After all, this is a feel-good show, not Scandal. Yes, he admitted to the board that he committed the crime, and we do see him getting handcuffed in the finale promo [6]. But if anything, Mer will probably 'fess up after she gets out of the hyperbaric chamber. There's a chance that Richard, who's always been a father figure to her, will take the fall or try to help her. Still, it's not going to be a satisfying ending if Meredith doesn't do the right thing. Fraud might not be the worst that Grey's has seen, but Mer did just jeopardize her career and put her patient's chances of asylum at stake. (Cue viewers screaming, "You could have done it pro bono!")
I can already see the situation unfolding as it usually does on Grey's. If you recall, Alex was jailed for a moment [8] in season 13 for punching DeLuca. He ended up suspended, and DeLuca dropped the charges. Look at Alex now — he was the interim chief of surgery for most of this season! Meredith will probably get a slap on the wrist, and the hospital will settle matters out of court. Even if she gets fired, that arc couldn't last too long. She's the star of the show [9], which is getting at least two more seasons [10].
Meredith's going to be OK. Her relationship with DeLuca [11], however, could go south. Whatever happens, we'll just have to be patient and hope that Zola, Bailey, and Ellis still have their mother by the end of the finale.