Medicare fraud busters unveil command center

Source: Associated Press

Medicare fraud busters unveil command center
KELLI KENNEDY, Associated Press, RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR, Associated Press
Updated 02:26 a.m., Wednesday, August 1, 2012

BALTIMORE (AP) — Federal fraud busters invited the news media to visit their new $3.6 million command center and watch staffers explain how they'll jump on unfolding Medicare scams.

While the action on the tour Tuesday wasn't real, the problem is — more than $60 billion a year is lost to fraud. And two Republican senators immediately questioned whether the new multimillion-dollar facility is just throwing more money away.

Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma said the Obama administration isn't providing enough information about new computer systems being used to identify suspicious Medicare and Medicaid billings and as a result, no one can tell how well they're working. Computerized screening of claims is at the heart of the command center's mission.

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The two Republicans may have more than congressional oversight in mind. In an election year, Medicare fraud is an issue with older voters because it speaks to the Obama administration's stewardship of the program.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/article/Medicare-fraud-busters-unveil-command-center-3752458.php