State Governments Address Fraud Issues
Nextgov: "A 17-year-old computer data matching system designed to prevent welfare recipients from drawing benefits in more than one state at a time is now helping cash-strapped states save millions of dollars -- but not as originally intended. Besides reducing fraud, the Public Assistance Reporting Information System allows state administrators to identify Medicaid beneficiaries who do not know they are eligible for military and veterans health benefits, thus allowing administrators to shift the financial burden of providing medical care for thousands of recipients entirely to the federal government. PARIS, developed in 1993 by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, allows state public assistance agencies to share information about applicants and recipients of certain benefits."
"Until recently, participation in the program was voluntary, but in October 2009, in an effort to reduce Medicaid fraud, Congress required states to use the database as a condition for receiving Medicaid funding for automated data systems" (Peters, 7/1).
The [Attleboro, Mass.] Sun Chronicle: "State Attorney General Martha Coakley is cautioning Medicare beneficiaries to be aware of potential scams that could arise in connection with the $250 rebate check being issued by Medicare. Qualifying consumers who have Medicare prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D and are not receiving Medicare Extra Help will receive a tax free, one-time $250 rebate check from Medicare once they reach the coverage gap in 2010. Checks began being mailed on June 10," a result of the new health law (7/2)
This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.