[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 113 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RE-INTRODUCING THE STRENGTHENING MEDICARE ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES ACT

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                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 1, 2013

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleague Ways and 
Means Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim McDermott (D-WA) to re-
introduce the Strengthening Medicare Anti-Fraud Measures Act.
  This bipartisan legislation is part of our commitment to efforts to 
reduce fraud, waste and abuse in Medicare.
  This legislation was previously introduced by our former colleagues 
Wally Herger (R-CA) and Pete Stark (D-CA). This bill provides Medicare 
with important fraud-fighting tools and so we are continuing their 
mission to strengthen anti-fraud efforts in the Medicare program.
  Currently, the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, Office 
of the Inspector General, OIG, lacks authority to exclude an individual 
or entity that is affiliated with an entity that has been sanctioned 
for fraud. This enables individuals and entities to continue to receive 
Medicare payments even if they contributed to the sanctioned behavior.
  It is important that we change the law to provide the Inspector 
General with these additional, requested tools to better protect 
Medicare.
  The legislation would provide OIG with two important authorities:
  First, the OIG would have the authority to prevent individuals 
involved with fraudulent entities from receiving Medicare payments. 
This would essentially ban executives whose companies have been 
convicted of Medicare fraud from the program. These executives 
currently defraud Medicare, then circumvent exclusion by moving to 
another company. I believe we can all agree these individuals should 
not be allowed to use this loophole to steal from the program that 
serves seniors' medical needs.
  The OIG would also have the authority to prevent entities involved 
with other fraudulent entities from receiving Medicare payments. This 
would ban the use of shell companies by corporations engaging in 
fraudulent activities. It is irrational to think that while these shell 
corporations are engaged in illegal activities their parent companies 
hold zero liability. Where individuals and entities are involved with 
fraudulent entities, they should not be permitted to continue to 
defraud the Medicare program.
  This legislation passed the House of Representatives in 2010 by voice 
vote. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to act on it.
  We encourage our colleagues to cosponsor this common sense 
legislation so we can add simple, anti-fraud tools to better protect 
Medicare beneficiaries and American taxpayers.

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