United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2005-09-22 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:GAO-05-656 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656 P0b002ee1803843fc f:d05656 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656 GAO-05-656 Fraud Inspection Licenses Medical equipment Medical supplies Medicare Overpayments Standards Strategic planning Florida Illinois Louisiana Texas Other Written Product A37738 In fiscal year 2004, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimated that Medicare improperly paid $900 million for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies--in part due to fraud by suppliers. To deter such fraud, CMS contracts with the National Supplier Clearinghouse (NSC) to verify that suppliers meet 21 standards before they can bill Medicare. NSC verifies adherence to the standards through on-site inspections and document reviews. Recent prosecutions of fraudulent suppliers suggest that there may be weaknesses in NSC's efforts to screen suppliers or in the standards. In this report, GAO evaluated: 1) NSC's efforts to verify suppliers' compliance with the 21 standards, 2) the adequacy of the standards to screen suppliers, and 3) CMS's oversight of NSC's efforts. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656.pdf GAO-05-656 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-656 Other Written Product GAO-05-656; Medicare: More Effective Screening and Stronger Enrollment Standards Needed for Medical Equipment Suppliers; Fraud Inspection Licenses Medical equipment Medical supplies Medicare Overpayments Standards Strategic planning Florida Illinois Louisiana Texas Volume 117 Page 2066 117 Stat. 2066 Public Law 108-173