A bipartisan bill unveiled on March 24 by U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) aims to cut down on fraud in the Medicaid and Medicare system by requiring additional provider screening.
“We must eliminate and be proactive against fraud within Medicaid and Medicare to protect the programs for those who truly need it,” Rep. Evans said.
The congressman signed on as the lead original cosponsor of the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, H.R. 2309, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) and three other original cosponsors to require that states regularly check the Social Security Administration’s death file for deceased physicians.
If deceased physicians remain in the program, their National Provider Identifier can be used by hackers to bill Medicaid or Medicare under the guise of the deceased physician, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Evans’ office.
If enacted, H.R. 2309 would require more provider screening to rectify the issue, the summary says.
“I’m proud to co-lead the bipartisan Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act to advocate for access to quality health care for Americans who rely on these programs,” he said.
“Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid hurts the rightful beneficiaries of those programs and all taxpayers,” added Rep. Peters. “Our bipartisan bill will prevent one of the most egregious forms of fraud in our healthcare system.”
H.R. 2309 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.