[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 144 (Tuesday, September 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H5300-H5301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           MEDICARE AND MEDICAID FRAUD PREVENTION ACT OF 2024

  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 8089) to amend title XIX of the Social Security 
Act to require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid 
program, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 8089

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare and Medicaid Fraud 
     Prevention Act of 2024''.

     SEC. 2. MEDICAID PROVIDER SCREENING REQUIREMENTS.

       Section 1902(kk)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
     1396a(kk)(1)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The State'' and inserting:
       ``(A) In general.--The State''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(B) Additional provider screening.--Beginning January 1, 
     2027, as part of the enrollment (or reenrollment or 
     revalidation of enrollment) of a provider or supplier under 
     this title, and not less frequently than quarterly during the 
     period that such provider or supplier is so enrolled, the 
     State conducts a check of the Death Master File (as such term 
     is defined in section 203(d) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 
     2013) to determine whether such provider or supplier is 
     deceased.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Mrs. Rodgers) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Pallone) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Washington.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Washington?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.

[[Page H5301]]

  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8089, the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention 
Act is a straightforward bill, and I thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr.  Mike Garcia) for putting forth this proposal.
  The bill would require States to regularly check the Social Security 
Administration's Death Master File for doctors who are enrolled in 
their Medicaid programs and to remove the doctors who are already dead. 
It almost sounds silly, but it can be quite serious.
  When a doctor dies, their national provider identification, or NPI, 
is not immediately deactivated. The NPI of the deceased physician is 
low-hanging fruit for a hacker to steal and start billing Medicaid 
with. This can go on for a long time if no one is checking for 
suspicious activity.
  To address waste, fraud, and abuse, States will need to be an active 
partner. Removing deceased doctors from a State's Medicaid program is a 
simple step States can take.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8089, the Medicare and 
Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, sponsored by Representatives  Mike 
Garcia and Peters.
  H.R. 8089 would clarify that State Medicaid agencies must check that 
a healthcare provider has not passed away as part of a provider's 
enrollment and revalidation of enrollment in the Medicaid program. 
States must perform this check using the Social Security 
Administration's Death Master File. This is the same system that H.R. 
8084, the LIVE Beneficiaries Act, would require States to use in order 
to ensure deceased Medicaid enrollees do not remain enrolled in the 
program. We will also be discussing that bill today.
  Ensuring that States check this file helps to identify and prevent 
waste and, in the case of providers, fraudulent activity of individuals 
who may attempt to use the identity of a deceased healthcare provider.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this 
legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr.  Mike Garcia).
  Mr. MIKE GARCIA of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank Madam Chair for 
her leadership on these very important issues.
  Since day one of representing my constituents of the beautiful 27th 
Congressional District in the Halls of Congress, I promised to never 
vote to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. In fact, I have 
been committed to improving or fortifying these programs throughout my 
time in the House of Representatives. It is with this commitment in 
mind that I rise today in support of my bill H.R. 8089, the Medicare 
and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.
  In these hyperpartisan times, it feels harder than ever to find 
issues where Republicans and Democrats can come together to find 
commonsense solutions to help American families and help their lives in 
what is otherwise a very tumultuous period. That is why I am grateful 
for the partnership of my fellow Californian, Representative Scott 
Peters, who was the co-lead for this very important bill.
  I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Chairwoman of the Energy 
and Commerce Committee, as well as the staff of Chair Rodgers. Her 
leadership has been unprecedented in this Chamber. For everything that 
she has done, I thank her.
  Mr. Speaker, I have long said that programs like Social Security and 
Medicare are, literally, contracts between the government and its 
citizens. The American people need the government to uphold their end 
of the contract by paying into and supporting these programs. The 
American people, literally, are giving their money into these programs 
and in exchange expect the government to return that money to them on 
the back side.
  Congress must uphold our end by ensuring these programs remain viable 
and accessible to those who need them. That includes paying out 
benefits in full to those who earned them, which is why it is so 
important that Congress prioritize repealing things like the windfall 
elimination program and other provisions of Social Security by passing 
bills like H.R. 82, which I am proud to support and hopefully we can 
bring to the floor for a vote, as well.
  Part of this commitment is ensuring that these programs remain 
solvent for years to come. That is exactly what this bill does. This 
bill will save Medicare and Medicaid millions of dollars over time by 
implementing a commonsense measure to ensure that fraudsters and 
scammers don't, literally, steal dead doctors' credentials to bill 
Medicare and Medicaid for services that they never provided. Our 
seniors and Americans deserve to have the funds in these programs used 
for them, not for scammers and fraudsters.
  This is not just about combating fraud. It is about honoring our 
commitment to programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. 
These are programs that countless Americans rely on and deserve to be 
protected. I am proud to support them, and I will continue to support 
and never cut Medicare or Social Security. I once again urge support 
for my bill.

  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close. I urge all my colleagues to vote for this bill. It is obviously 
very important to prevent any kind of fraud in the Medicare and 
Medicaid programs. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. RODGERS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I also encourage 
a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 8089, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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