House Bill Would Boost Efforts To Combat Medicare Fraud
Two House lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee have reintroduced a bipartisan bill (HR 2925) -- which stalled in 2010 -- that would strengthen federal efforts to combat Medicare payment fraud by eliminating entities that have been involved in fraud from the program. The bill -- which failed to advance to the Senate after being approved by voice vote in 2010 -- would authorize the HHS Office of Inspector General to discontinue Medicare payments to such entities and prevent executives from switching between companies to repeatedly defraud Medicare. The measure also would encourage federal authorities to ban organizations tied to fraudulent groups from Medicare.
- "Bipartisan Bill Offers New Approach to Medicare Fraud Fight" (Viebeck, "Healthwatch," The Hill, 8/2).