The outrage is galvanizing increased scrutiny by members of Congress, federal prosecutors, government auditors, citizen whistle-blowers, and the media. I can think of 12 billion reasons why this issue should remain on the front burner. In 1993, Congress granted extended authority and resources to government auditors to ferret fraud from the system. Culling through 860 million Medicare claims filed each year may seem like looking for a needle in a haystack. Sadly, a pricey bundle of improper bills are baled from Medicare's haystack.
Some people find government programs irresistible targets.
The Defense Department is a primary target for cheaters. In 1986, I pushed through whistle-blower protections in the False Claims Act to give private citizens the incentive to blow the whistle on fraud against the government. Now, Medicare is fast becoming the cash cow of choice for some swindlers. As chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, I won't leave a stone unturned to expose those who steal from the elderly and rob taxpayers of their hard-earned money. We simply can't afford to let up on fraud crackdown.