Medicare: CMS's Program Safeguards Did Not Deter Growth in Spending for Power Wheelchairs

[摘要] A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Medicare spending for power wheelchairs--one of the program's most expensive items of durable medical equipment (DME)--rose more than fourfold from 1999 through 2003, while overall Medicare spending rose by about 11 percent for the same period, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This spending growth has raised concerns that some of the payments may have been improper. In May 2003, the Department of Justice indicted several power wheelchair suppliers in Texas alleged to have fraudulently billed Medicare. GAO was asked to examine the early and more recent steps taken by CMS and its contractors to respond to improper payments for power wheelchairs."

[发布日期] 2004-11-17 [发布机构] United States. Government Accountability Office.

[关键词] Government accountability -- United States.;health care;medicare;letter report