Medicare Vulnerabilities: Payments for Claims Tied to Deceased Doctors

The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing, “Medicare Vulnerabilities: Payments for Claims Tied to Deceased Doctors,” examined fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicare program in connection with the payment of claims containing the physician identification numbers of doctors who had died at least one year before the prescription was filled. The hearing focused on Durable Medical Equipment (DME) claims citing a deceased doctor as the prescribing physician, and inadequate oversight by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to correct the problem. The Subcommittee issued a Subcommittee staff report in conjunction with the hearing summarizing its investigative findings.