The re-introduction of the “PRIME Act” is a significant first step in solidifying the future of the Medicare and Medicaid program. AMAC commends Representatives Roskam and Carney for working together in a bipartisan fashion to tackle the serious problems of waste, fraud and abuse that continue to unnecessarily drain these programs at the expense of seniors in need. Millions of older Americans consider Medicare and Medicaid vital to accessing quality health care – yet loopholes in the law leave many vulnerable to heinous crimes, such as identity theft and fraud, or reward improper payments to individuals scheming the system. We strongly believe that the “PRIME Act” enacts responsible measures that will protect seniors, minimize wasteful spending and strengthen these programs for future beneficiaries. AMAC urges Congress to pass this commonsense legislation and to enhance the overall integrity of these important programs.
January 29, 2015
The Honorable Peter Roskam The Honorable John Carney
6th District, Illinois 1st District, Delaware
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
2246 Rayburn House Office Building 1406 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representatives Roskam and Carney,
On behalf of the 1.2 million members of AMAC, the Association of Mature American Citizens, I am writing to offer our strong support for the “Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures Act,” or “PRIME Act.” This important bipartisan piece of legislation seeks to reduce the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse within Medicare and Medicaid in order to enhance the overall integrity of the programs.
Each year, Medicare and Medicaid lose tens of billions of dollars to fraud and unnecessary spending. The “PRIME Act” takes a number of appropriate, responsible measures to minimize wasteful spending and to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid for current and future beneficiaries. For instance, this bill enacts stronger penalties for Medicare fraud and works to prevent improper payments from happening in the first place by requiring the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to track overpayments and to implement solutions to address them. AMAC believes these particular provisions are essential to closing loopholes and stopping patterns of double billing so that taxpayer dollars can be used more efficiently and effectively.
Additionally, the “PRIME Act” takes steps to protect seniors from heinous crimes, such as identity theft and fraud. To reduce instances of fraud and theft, this bill expands and builds upon the work of the Senior Medicare Patrol – a team of volunteers and staff that service Medicare beneficiaries by identifying and reporting cases of fraud. Through the “PRIME Act,” the Senior Medicare Patrol would be more equipped to improve outreach to seniors and to better engage Medicare beneficiaries in the effort to curtail wasteful spending and fraud.
As an organization committed to protecting the interests of mature Americans and seniors, AMAC remains very concerned with the waste, fraud, and abuse that continues to typify Federal government programs. The “PRIME Act” is an essential first step in solidifying the future of these important programs. Thanks to your concern and attention for this significant issue, AMAC is pleased to support this legislation and urges Congress to work together to achieve solutions that will benefit older Americans.
Sincerely,
Dan Weber
President and Founder of AMAC
How do we get this to happen. All I get is lip service.
I pray it is not too late for the American people to see what has been very cunningly happening with the misuse of power in d.c. We the People must take ownership back of this great Nation now and do not let big government dictate our destiny and the next generations of Americans.
We are with you. Could not have said it more stright and correct.
HMOs are biggest fraud I have discovered. They are efficient at billing but inefficient at healing. Doctors are overbooked advise going to Emergency Room of hospital instead of treating patient. Hospital charges for ineffective treatment and refers patient back to primary care doctor. The Government pays most of whatever HMOs are allowed to charge by contract.
This year I reverted to Original Medicare and can pick best healing doctor available who still accepts puny Medicare payment.
RECOMMENDATION: Increase Medicare allowances to doctors and decrease Medicare allowances to HMO billing scams.
ObamaCare insures must accept prior conditions. But supplemental Medicare insurers may deny insurance coverage for prior conditions such as diabetes. Medicare recipients are shafted.
Depends on the HMO you get, perhaps? My husband and I are quite happy with our HMOs and our doctors under this insurance. It’s better for us financially than Medicare + supplement was, because the monthly payment is cheaper than the supplements we had in the past, and doctors in our area accept it. This is our 2nd year in the plan.
Independent — Think that money’s just sitting in a vault somewhere so that they can “return” it? They SPENT IT and it’s gone. If ordered to “return” it there are exactly two things which they can do: 1) Raise our taxes enough to make up for it. 2) Borrow it and “replenish” the funds that are gone.
Sadly, there is little that can be done about this now. However, we need to get behind this bill and see it enacted so that waste, fraud and abuse can be drastically slowed from the rate at which they are occuring. That will make the system more viable long-term. That, and the American people WAKING UP and stop re-electing the people who keep “raiding” all of the trust funds for whatever their priorities of the moment are.
Nice post. Good to see there are others who get the reality of where we are and what realistic options actually exist.
Good points, Robert. Keep informing everyone you can to influence that “wake up” call.
A vast amount of money has already been taken away from Medicare funding to support the outrageous cost of obomercare !!! We Must save medicare and Insure It’s Future !! Therefore, this “Prime Act” Bill is More Then
Warranted !!!
I’d like to suggest that the congress and court return the almost 3/4 of a trillion dollars they stole out of our medicare accounts to fund the deception of Obamacare. This is theft of our money.
It was the Democrat Congress and mostly Barack Hussein OBAMa who stole the 3/4 Million $$ from Medicare,
NOT the Republican Congress.
And YES that Money should be paid back by the ones who STOLE it.Also let’s make sure that those People will
be put on OBAMA CARE. (B.H.OBAMA first). Maybe putting their Pension Money into the Social Security
Fund ,would be a Warning to all those in DC.
That is a very good suggestion, but how do we force them to pay it back.
It is past time the American people wake up and take action regarding the misuse of Medicare and Medicaid money that has been appropriated for the health care of retired & senior citizens who have paid into the system for years. I pray that congress will take action soon to ensure the citizens who are eligible to participate are secure and at the same time bring the fraud to a minimum. You’ve got my 100% support.
Something like this is long overdue. Now we just need Obama to sign it.