WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the House of Representatives passed Representatives Scott Peters’ (D-CA-50) and Mike Garcia’s (R-CA-27) Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, H.R. 8089, by a voice vote. This bipartisan legislation would require states to check the Social Security Administration Death Master File (DMF) before automatically reenrolling Medicaid providers. This commonsense fix, based on findings from a U.S. Government Accountability Office study, would prevent criminals from using recently deceased physicians' credentials to commit Medicare and Medicaid Fraud. A recent HHS Inspector General report also recommended that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services continue to explore further opportunities to integrate the DMF into its oversight efforts.

“Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid hurts the rightful beneficiaries of those programs and all taxpayers,” said Rep. Peters. “Our bipartisan bill will prevent one of the most egregious forms of fraud in our healthcare system. As we work to put our country on a better fiscal path and tackle our enormous debt, we must do everything we can to stop taxpayer dollars from being misspent. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly take up our legislation and provide this commonsense reform.”  

“Since day one of representing my constituents, I have promised to never vote to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, and this bill reflects that commitment,” said Rep. Garcia. “Medicare and Medicaid are more than just programs—they’re a contract with the American people. This legislation ensures that the resources in these programs are used for those who need them, not for scammers.”

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