Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicare Part B Still A Target For Fraud, Federal Watchdog Says
ProPublica: Fraud Still Plagues Medicare Drug Program, Watchdog Finds
Fraud and abuse continue to dog Medicare's popular prescription drug program despite a bevy of initiatives launched to prevent them, according to two new reports by the inspector general of Health and Human Services. The release follows the arrests of 44 pharmacy owners, doctors and others, who last week were accused of bilking the program, known as Part D. (Ornstein, 6/23)
Modern Healthcare: CMS Must Do More To Stop Medicare Part D Fraud, OIG Says
Two new federal reports shine a light on questionable billing patterns across the country in regards to Medicare Part D and urge the CMS to do more to protect the program. The reports, released Tuesday by HHS' Office of Inspector General, come days after federal officials announced charges against 44 people across the country for fraud in Medicare Part D, which is Medicare's drug benefit program. Those charges represented the first large-scale, federal effort to focus on Medicare Part D fraud—an effort many say is likely to continue. (Schencker, 6/23)
Politico Pro: OIG Warns Medicare Part D Still Susceptible To Fraud
The watchdog office at HHS warned Tuesday that the Medicare Part D program is still vulnerable to fraud and called out CMS for not taking recommended steps to crack down on potential problems. The Office of Inspector General also released a report identifying more than 1,400 pharmacies with suspicious billing patterns that accounted for $2.3 billion in prescription drug submissions to the Part D program last year. These pharmacies, most independently owned, merit further scrutiny, the OIG said. (Norman, 6/23)
