Medicare Fraud Tops $60 Billion Per Year

Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein, Majikthise at 2:00 AM on June 16, 2008.

One high school dropout takes Uncle Sam for $105 million.

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The Washington Post delves into the multi-billion dollar fraud problem afflicting Medicare.

The program's internal accounting safeguards are designed to detect unorthodox medical treatment and over billing. Out and out fraud? Not so much.

The Post's experts estimate that criminals bilk the system out of more than $60 billion per year. A lone Florida woman, a high school dropout, bilked the system out of $105 million, working from home on her laptop.

It's an interesting story on an important issue--but one thing is missing: Which firms hold contracts to maintain the internal accountability systems in Medicare? It's a safe bet that these functions were privatized long ago. Let's have some accountability from the firms that provide IT to the government. Which companies are preventing waste, fraud and abuse, and which ones are part of the problem?

Tagged as: fraud, waste, medicaid, wikileaks

Lindsay Beyerstein a New York journalist blogging at Majikthise.

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Where are the facts of the story - no real details? [Report this comment] Posted by: colleenwhalen on Jun 16, 2008 3:19 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I am disabled on Medicare and getting them to pay for my physical therapy sessions is like drianing blood from a stone. I'd appreacite more details about this embezzelment from Medicare. Medicare typically denies me medical treatment, but they let some nitwit with a laptop bilk them out of $100 million? Holy Mother of Pearl! Sweet Suffering Jesus on the Cross and all the Saints in Heaven! Colleen [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Where are the facts of the story - no real details? Posted by: launcher » "High School Dropout?!" Posted by: swells Raph Nader said that this is $200B not $60B [Report this comment] Posted by: warble on Jun 16, 2008 7:44 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] At a town meeting in Philadelphia at the Ethical Society, Ralph Nader explained that no one is holding the HMO's and the health care Industry accountable for the widespread billing frauds that are going on to the Tune of $200 Billion dollars. He said that $5Billion could have been used after Katrina to help everyone out of their troubles. Where are the Democrats and where are the Republicans? If he were President, this would not be swept under the rug as it has apparently been. Our nation is now bankrupt and we are paying $3000/person extra for gas and home energy and these crooks in congress are looking the other way as they rob us blind. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Bill [HCA] Frist et al [Report this comment] Posted by: DrXyzzy on Jun 16, 2008 8:36 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Although the WaPo article features an individual perp., it might help to recall that some fraud, in fact quite a lot of it, is corporate. Try an Internet search on your health insurance company's name and "fraud". From PNHP (profit-driven health care begets fraud): - NME (Tenet): $683 million for medicare billings fraud and patient abuse; - Smith Kline, Corning, LabCorp: $800 million for billing fraud; - Caremark: $137 million for kickbacks and fraud in the home IV business; - Fresenius/NMC: $486 million for dialysis fraud; - Roche and BASF: $725 million for a price-fixing cartel; - Beverly: $175 million for nursing home fraud; - Noll: $135 million for suppressing research data on drug Synthroid; - Abbott Labs: $100 million for faulty lab test kits; - Columbia/HCA: $745 million for alleged fraud in a continuing investigation. [+AON $190 million] [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Excuse [Report this comment] Posted by: QQOblivion on Jun 16, 2008 11:15 AM Current rating: 3 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Fraud and waste is just another excuse for Republican lawmakers to deny innocent people coverage. By the way, the title says MediCAID, while the article is about MediCARE. Is this a typo? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] $60 Billion pocket change the Pentagon wasted $295 billion..under Bush..! [Report this comment] Posted by: TJ-stars4peace on Jun 16, 2008 11:40 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] The Bush drug plan was designed to swindle billions from Americans for the drug companies and hasten the bankruptcy of Medicare.. We all know that Single Payer Health Care will reduce and also make it easier to catch these frauds which is why so many politicians are against it.. Now consider this and the Media will not cover it the Pentagon has swindled $295 billion wasted $295 on weapons systems..contract frauds pay offs over runs..$295 billion... This waste has gone up 4x's or 400% under the Bush Mafia... [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] is this a joke or what? [Report this comment] Posted by: Bearzerker on Jun 16, 2008 2:14 PM Current rating: 1 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Seems that anybody can write anything these days about single desk Healthcare, THEN put FRAUD on it, and it gets FRONT PAGE COVERAGE! BUT the REAL FRAUD is when BIG PHARMA & the STATUS QUO Insurance apparachek RAPE GOVERNMENTS, INDUSTRIES & CONSUMERS ALIKE WITH PLANTED STORIES LIKE THIS TO PERPETUATE THEIR FEAR! WELL FOLKS THIER IS FEAR... BUT NOT THE TYPE THEY'RE HOPING FOR! IT'S FEAR AND LOATHING IN THE STATUS QUO [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » Fear? Posted by: 12/21/12

» RE: Where are the facts of the story - no real details? Posted by: launcher

» "High School Dropout?!" Posted by: swells

» Fear? Posted by: 12/21/12

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» RE: Where are the facts of the story - no real details? Posted by: launcher

» "High School Dropout?!" Posted by: swells

» Fear? Posted by: 12/21/12