I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 251
To establish an Office of Inspector General for the Medicare and Medicaid
Programs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 7, 1997
Mr. QUINN (for himself, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. KING, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr.
HOLDEN, Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania, and Mr. GOSS) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform
and Oversight, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, and
Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish an Office of Inspector General for the Medicare
and Medicaid Programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Inspector General for
Medicare and Medicaid Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GEN-
ERAL FOR THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
PROGRAMS.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AS INDEPENDENT AGENCY.—
There is established as an independent agency in the exec-
utive branch of the Government an agency which shall be
known as the ‘‘Office of the Inspector General for the
Medicare and Medicaid Programs’’.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Office shall be to
supervise, oversee, and audit the medicare and medicaid
programs as provided for under titles XVIII and XIX of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.).
(c) INSPECTOR GENERAL.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Office shall be under
the direction and control of the Inspector General
for the Medicare and Medicaid Programs.
(2) APPOINTMENT.—The Inspector General
shall be appointed in accordance with section 3 of
the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.).
(3) DUTIES.—The Inspector General shall per-
form his duties in accordance with the provisions of
section 8G of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5
U.S.C. App.).
SEC. 3. SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO INSPECTOR
GENERAL FOR THE MEDICARE AND MEDIC-
AID PROGRAMS.
(a) SPECIAL PROVISIONS.—The Inspector General
Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating the last two sections (each
designated as section 8G) appearing before section 9
as sections 8H and 8I, respectively;
(2) in section 8I (as so redesignated)—
(A) by striking ‘‘8D, or 8E’’ and inserting
‘‘8D, 8E, or 8G’’; and
(B) by striking ‘‘8F(a)’’ and inserting
‘‘8H(a)’’; and
(3) by inserting after section 8F the following:
‘‘SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO INSPECTOR
GENERAL FOR THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PROGRAMS
‘‘SEC. 8G. DUTIES.—In addition to other duties and
responsibilities specified in this Act, the Inspector General
for the Medicare and Medicaid Programs shall—
‘‘(1) supervise, direct, and control all functions
and duties of the Office of the Inspector General for
the Medicare and Medicaid Programs;
‘‘(2) prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse
in the medicare and medicaid programs as provided
for under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.); and
‘‘(3) coordinate all audits, investigations, in-
spections, and other activities for the purpose of pro-
moting economy and efficiency in the administration
of the medicare and medicaid programs.’’.
(b) DESIGNATION OF OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GEN-
ERAL FOR THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID PROGRAMS.—
Section 11 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 is amend-
ed in paragraph (2) by inserting ‘‘, or Office of Inspector
General for the Medicare and Medicaid Programs’’ before
‘‘; as the case may be;’’.
SEC. 4. COMPENSATION.
Section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘Inspector General for the Medicare and Medicaid
Programs.’’.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such
sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of
this Act.
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