The numbers paint an alarming picture. In fiscal year 2024, 7.66% of the payments Medicare’s Fee-for-Service program made to providers were “improper,” meaning they failed to comply with legal requirements. Those payments totaled more than $31 billion. That’s actually an improvement over Medicare’s 2023 improper payment tab.
The Department of Government Efficiency’s crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse is off to a fast start. But as an engine of government savings, DOGE still has substantial untapped potential.
That’s because it hasn’t yet addressed the fraud crippling one of the federal government’s largest programs: Medicare. In fiscal year 2023 alone, “improper payments” in Medicare eclipsed $50 billion.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.
Medicare fraud should be next in line for DOGE
Sally C. Pipes
The numbers paint an alarming picture. In fiscal year 2024, 7.66% of the payments Medicare’s Fee-for-Service program made to providers were “improper,” meaning they failed to comply with legal requirements. Those payments totaled more than $31 billion. That’s actually an improvement over Medicare’s 2023 improper payment tab.
The Department of Government Efficiency’s crackdown on waste, fraud and abuse is off to a fast start. But as an engine of government savings, DOGE still has substantial untapped potential.
That’s because it hasn’t yet addressed the fraud crippling one of the federal government’s largest programs: Medicare. In fiscal year 2023 alone, “improper payments” in Medicare eclipsed $50 billion.
Read the entire op-ed here.
Nothing contained in this blog is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of the Pacific Research Institute or as an attempt to thwart or aid the passage of any legislation.