Per the document you linked, the estimated medicare budget for fiscal 2010 is 447 Billion.
Since I cannot sleep and don't feel like working more, I looked all over for a source for the 60 billion in fraud.
There are no source documents. The number gets stated in an initial news reports and then repeated, expanded and embellished in various follow on news stories. The NPR story talks about 300-400 million and the "actual could be 10 times as much." Another story says 60 billion in Medicare and Medicaid. Again no source. The ABC story says the "Government admits to 60 billion" then nowhere in the story does it reference it again. No statement to an authoritative report or estimate. "No Senior officials said..." I can't find any documented source anywhere.
I think the percentage and dollar value is just one of those things that gets repeated as truth - when there is no substance to the estimate.
Now I'm not saying there is no medicare and medicare fraud. Heck just look at the new Governor of Florida. His former company got nailed will the biggest fine and criminal convictions in history.
But perhaps this will provide some comfort:
Feds gain power over billions in Medicare fraud
By Alison Young, USA TODAY
September 19, 2010
Proposed regulations being unveiled today seek to crack down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud by subjecting operators of certain medical firms to fingerprinting and stopping payments when credible fraud allegations are made, documents show....
The proposed rules are part of the nation's new health law, which plans to expand coverage to millions of Americans in part by saving money on waste and fraud in the public and private health care systems. It's not known how much money these proposed rules would save, Budetti said. ...
Louis Saccoccio, who heads the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, praised the proposed rules. It's long overdue, said Saccoccio, whose group represents private insurers, law enforcement and other government agencies. It shows there's a focus now on prevention as opposed to we pay these folks and then we try to get the money back and prosecute them....
abcnews.go.com |
