“Medicaid improper payments, including fraud, have spiked in recent years, reaching $37 billion in 2017, according to a government watchdog agency.”
“And the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) might only have itself to blame.”
“The government-run healthcare program, which covers over 70 million Americans, cost taxpayers about $596 billion in last year, with more than 6% going to improper payments, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The $37 billion total is up from $36 billion in 2016 and from $29.1 billion in 2015, representing a 27% increase over the three-year period.”
“The report follows recent news that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is recovering less money through fraud investigations, with fraud recovery totals down 21% last year.”
“The GAO said CMS must take additional actions to improve oversight and prevent improper payments. Suggestions include gathering more accurate data…” Read the full article here.
Source: Medicaid wasted $37B on improper payments in 2017, CMS shrugs off GAO advice – By Mike Stankiewicz, April 13, 2018. FierceHealthcare.
