The Justice Department has joined a California whistleblower’s lawsuit that accuses insurance giant UnitedHealth Group of fraud in its popular Medicare Advantage health plans.
Medical Billing Blog
Justice Department Joins Lawsuit of Medicare Fraud by UnitedHealth
Medicare Failed To Recover Up To $125 Million In Overpayments, Records Show
Six years ago, federal health officials were confident they could save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually by auditing private Medicare Advantage insurance plans that allegedly overcharged the government for medical services.
Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, MD, the Director of CMS’ Center for Program Integrity (CPI) stated that CPI is going to shift its focus to preventing fraud rather than chasing overpayments down after they have already been paid. In a speech to the American Bar Association’s Health Law Summit, Agrawal said that “preventative actions have a greater return on investment than the pay and chase model, in which the government seeks the return of overpayments it has already made”.
Improper Payments: Government Wide Estimates and Reduction Strategies
How Can Medicare Improve Improper Payment Prevention and Recoupment Efforts
Shortly before appearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on Medicare mismanagement. The report summarizes existing program integrity procedures in the Medicare program and describes additional GAO program integrity recommendations that have yet to be implemented by CMS.