Probe Finds Dead Doctors Used In Medicare Scams
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional investigators say sellers of wheelchairs, drugs and other medical supplies have been filing millions of dollars in fraudulent Medicare claims using prescriptions from dead doctors.
The claims, filed from 2000 to 2007, used the doctors’ still active Medicare ID codes. They totaled as much as 93 million dollars.
According to the Senate Homeland Security investigations subcommittee, millions more will continue to be at risk of waste and fraud unless Medicare officials address flaws they’ve promised to fix for years.
The Senate report calls for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and its contractors to adopt new procedures to update physician data to account for deaths on a more frequent basis. It also urges regular audits.
The CMS says it is taking several steps to help avoid future problems.
