9/22/10 HOUSE PASSES HERGER BILL CRACKING DOWN ON MEDICARE FRAUD |
WASHINGTON – Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA), Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, today praised House passage of H.R. 6130, the Strengthening Medicare Anti-Fraud Measures Act. The bill, a bipartisan effort, passed by voice vote and now awaits action in the Senate. The legislation expands the authority of the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) to allow it to ban corporate executives from doing business with Medicare if their companies were convicted of fraud. It also gives the OIG the ability to exclude parent companies that may be committing fraud through shell companies. Ranking Member Herger said, "I'm pleased that the House has taken OIG's requested steps to close these loopholes that have allowed perpetrators of Medicare fraud a way to stay in business. With these additional tools OIG will be better able to stop those individuals who commit fraud but who have been able to stay one step ahead of law enforcement, saving taxpayer dollars and protecting seniors. Medicare fraud is a crime that hurts senior citizens, law-abiding health care providers, and every American who pays taxes." Herger, along with the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, introduced the bill with bipartisan support last Wednesday after holding a hearing in June on fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare program. At this hearing, the Chief Counsel for the OIG asked members of the Ways and Means Committee for this new authority. For more information on this hearing, please visit: http://go.usa.gov/xDC The legislation addresses two gaps that exist in fighting Medicare fraud:
For the text of H.R. 6130, please visit: http://go.usa.gov/xZb |