"William Wixon" wrote in message
...

"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...

"Wes" wrote in message
news
"SteveB" wrote:

$60 billion in fraud in the Medicare program, and "news" program 60
minutes
reported on it.

What is this country coming to?

Steve



If I was looking over expendatures, I think the numbers would be higher.
Check out what
Medicare pays for wheel chairs and scooters.

Wes

About the same that private insurance pays -- usually 80%.

Medicare has been starved for enforcement money for a long time. Private
insurance companies do somewhat better, as a percentage, but their fraud
estimates run from $63B (an industry group) to over $150B (summary of
law-enforcement estimates). It's become a big target for criminals
because it's so easy.

Obama has earmarked an increase in the enforcement budget for Medicare of
$200 million. The private healthcare fraud organization (NHCAA) says you
get something like $7 back for every $1 spent on investigations.

--
Ed Huntress


HUH! interesting. i'm for the public option but i had no idea how they
were going to control "waste, fraud and abuse", and i was sure there'd be
TONS of it. it's heartening to know the disastrous waste, fraud and abuse
that occurs in medicare is partially due to a low enforcement budget, and
there's lots and lots and lots in private healthcare too. whew! glad to
know that's a weak argument against the public option. thanks ed. seems
like it's a cash cow for crooks, both systems. there was a guy locally
who was complaining that his powered wheelchair was a lemon, broke a month
or two after he got it, and the warranty was like only two weeks or
something. i can't remember the details of the story but in the end it
seemed to me like it was a scam perpetuated by medicare and the scooter
manufacturer. (just like the people who squeal loudest when they talk
about reforming food stamps aren't the "welfare mothers" but supermarket
associations and food producers, etc.)

b.w.

HUH! And how is Medicare implicated in this "scam"? What would they get out
of it?

As for the argument against the public option, the most serious one is that
it could be manipulated to control the insurance industry -- even to squeeze
it out. Interestingly, that's also a serious argument *in favor* of the
public option.

Which side of that argument do you fall on?

--
Ed Huntress