[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 102 (Thursday, July 17, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5410]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MEDICARE OVERPAYMENT

  (Mrs. CHENOWETH asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHENOWETH. Mr. Speaker, today the New York Times ran a very 
interesting article but a very sad article. It is entitled ``U.S. 
Overpaid $2.3 Billion Last Year'' in Medicare and it reads:
  ``In the first comprehensive audit of Medicare, Federal investigators 
said Wednesday that the government overpaid hospitals, doctors and 
other health care providers last year by $23 billion, or 14 percent of 
all of the money spent in the standard Medicare program.
  ``The books and records of the Medicare agency and its contractors 
were in such disarray that they could not be thoroughly audited,'' said 
the inspector general. She said that there was no way to tell how much 
money of the overpayment resulted from fraud.
  Mr. Speaker, I think the buck stops with the President on this issue. 
I think before we get into the next cycle, I think the President 
absolutely must pay attention to this fraud and abuse in Medicare.

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