Lawmakers Join All-Out Push to Combat Medicare Fraud
Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
Federal law enforcement officials in
Nelson and Collins, along with Sens.
"This is exactly why we're doing the legislation," said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) who chairs the
Senator Collins added, "For decades, the GAO has identified
"
"Our bill will build on the Physician Payments Sunshine Act that I co-authored," Grassley said. "It requires HHS to use available data, including data from the Sunshine Act, to verify doctors' reported information about ownership interests in organizations that bill
Specifically, the legislation will require
The bill will also allow private insurers to share information about potentially fraudulent providers with
According to a recent estimate, fraud in the country's
The lawmakers' legislation already has the support of the
Below is a summary of the bill and the
Stop SCAMS ACT OF 2014
Sponsors: Sens. Bill Nelson,
THE MEDICARE PROGRAM NEEDS TO IMPROVE SAFEGUARDS AGAINST FRAUD
The
MEDICARE FRAUD: A GROWING PROBLEM
In FY 2012, the
According to one estimate,
Stop SCAMS ACT OF 2014
The Stop SCAMS Act of 2014 helps safeguard taxpayer dollars and reduce fraudulent payments by:
PARTNERING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO REDUCE MEDICARE FRAUD
Allow private insurers to share information about potentially fraudulent providers with
REQUIRING INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF PROVIDER OWNERSHIP INTERESTS
Under
TESTING MEDICAL CODES BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION
Require full end-to-end testing of code sets before implementation of the new codes, to ensure that payments to providers are not delayed and fraud prevention systems continue to work appropriately. Before HHS could implement any new coding system, it would be required to certify to
HARNESSING EXISTING RESOURCES TO BETTER TARGET FRAUD PREVENTION EFFORTS
Allow the
ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSING THE BILL
Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 90 Individuals for Approximately
27 Medical Professionals, Including 16 Doctors, Charged with Health Care Fraud
Attorney
This coordinated takedown is the seventh national
Since their inception in
The joint
"
"The Affordable Care Act has given us additional tools to preserve
The defendants charged are accused of various health care fraud-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, violations of the anti-kickback statutes and money laundering. The charges are based on a variety of alleged fraud schemes involving various medical treatments and services, including home health care, mental health services, psychotherapy, physical and occupational therapy, durable medical equipment and pharmacy fraud.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly participated in schemes to submit claims to
"Today, across the nation, scores of defendants were arrested for engaging in hundreds of millions of dollars in health care fraud," said Acting Assistant Attorney
"We all feel the effects of health care fraud," said FBI Assistant Director Campbell. "It leads to higher health care costs and makes it harder for seniors and those who are ill to get the care they need. The
" Today's arrests demonstrate the effectiveness of our Strike Forces in combating
" Fraud can inflict real harm on
In
Eleven individuals were charged by the Houston Medicare Strike Force. Five
Eight defendants were charged in
In
In
In
The cases announced today are being prosecuted and investigated by Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams comprised of attorneys from the Fraud Section of the
A complaint or indictment is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
To learn more about HEAT, go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov .
Read this original document at: http://www.aging.senate.gov/press-releases/lawmakers-join-all-out-push-to-combat-medicare-fraud
Copyright: | (c) 2010 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
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