Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Medicare Fraudbuster Fizzles

Launched last summer, a $77 million computer system to stop Medicare fraud before it happens had prevented just one suspicious payment by Christmas. That saved taxpayers exactly $7,591.

Lawmakers had expected the system to finally allow Medicare to stanch a $60-billion-a-year fraud hemorrhage. Now they’re worried that cautious bureaucrats lacking a clear game plan will compromise its performance.

Medicare officials say it’s unfair to grade the new technology on a single statistic.

Maybe it's just me, but I would expect a bit more for a $77 million computer.

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