government

House members target Medicare and Medicaid fraud

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 28, 2011

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A bipartisan House bill would shift Medicare anti-fraud efforts to utilizing prevention tactics employed by the credit card industry, sponsors of the legislation said.

Reps. Peter Roskam (R, Ill.) and John Carney (D, Del.) introduced the Medicare and Medicaid FAST Act on Nov. 10. The bill would authorize the adoption of new technologies to reduce an estimated $50 billion in Medicare improper payments each year.

"Stopping Medicare fraud won't be a cure-all of our country's fiscal woes, but it is a common-sense bipartisan solution to save taxpayers billions and help strengthen Medicare," Roskam said.

The legislation would increase the use of predictive modeling technology to prevent fraudulent payments from being made. The act also would curtail physician identity theft and levy tougher penalties on those defrauding health programs.

The Roskam-Carney bill is similar to a Senate bill introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn, MD (R, Okla.), and Tom Carper (D, Del.) in June.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/11/28/gvbf1128.htm.

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