Exclusive: A bipartisan congressional proposal to check Social Security Agency death records is expected to crack down on Medicaid and Medicare fraud.
The law, known as the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, requires state governments to check whether the Social Security Death Masterfile indicates a doctor who is considered part of a government program aimed at older people and low-income Americans. This check is intended to prevent the doctor's national provider identifier from being used by bad actors to commit fraud.
“We will eliminate fraud within Medicaid and Medicare, and protect programs for those who need it. We are proud to be able to jointly lead the bipartisan Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act to advocate access to quality healthcare for Americans who rely on these programs.” R-Colo, who runs the bill with Rep. Scott Peters of D-Calif. Rep. Gabe Evans said in a statement in Fox News Digital.
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The image in this photo shows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (via Getty Images Photo Illustrations by Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/Lightrocket)
The law under the same name was introduced last year by former lawmakers Mike Garcia, R-Calif and Peters. The bill passed the House and was introduced to the Senate Finance Committee, but no further action was taken at that time.
“Medicare and Medicaid fraud is hurting these programs and the legitimate beneficiaries of all taxpayers,” Peters said in a statement at the time.
“Our bipartisan bills hamper one of the worst forms of fraud in our healthcare system. We work to put the country on a better financial path and tackle huge debts, so we must do everything we can to ensure that taxpayer dollars don't become mispent,” the lawmaker added.
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Illustration of a thief stealing social security numbers and personal information. (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutsson)
Legislative introductions are due to increased scrutiny of the program at both the state and federal levels. In Colorado's Evans state, $7.3 million was given to insurers to care for the deceased Medicaid recipients, the Denver Post reported.
Meanwhile, California is facing scrutiny of the $9.5 billion price tag of Medicaid affiliate Medi-Cal, despite originally anticipating it would cost $6 billion.
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Elon Musk and the government's Department of Efficiency are reportedly investigating government healthcare costs. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom said illegal immigrants are now able to register with the program, but he insisted that Golden State is something like Colorado, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
In 2024, Medicare's “inappropriate payments” and Medicaid's “inappropriate payments” amounted to $54.3 billion and $31.1 billion, according to the Government's Office of Accountability. Meanwhile, the government's efficiency department is reportedly investigating government health program spending.
