Medicare Wrongly Paid $11.7M in Rx Benefits for Inmates
Medicare improperly paid $11.7 million for inmates' prescription drugs from 2006 to 2010, according to an HHS Office of Inspector General report. Medicare Part D provides prescription drug benefits, but convicted felons are ineligible for such benefits, while they are incarcerated. According to the HHS OIG report, Medicare wrongfully reimbursed medical companies for providing prescription drugs to prisoners because CMS lacked the necessary safeguards to screen out inmates.
- "Prison Life Has Never Been So Good! Uncle Sam Now Pays for TV, Drugs" (Swarts, Washington Times, 2/10).