Hcfa Three Largest Medicare Overpayment Settlements Were Improper

Summary: The depletion of the Medicare Trust Fund has been the subject of significant scrutiny in recent years; fraudulent & abusive practices have raised concerns about program vulnerabilities. The Health Care Finance Admin. (HCFA), which administers the Medicare program, is required to ensure that debts owed the program are paid. Rather than collect the entire debt, however, HCFA often enters into settlement agreements with... providers & accepts less than the full amount owed. This report examines the application of the Federal Claims Collection Act to HCFA's settlement of overpayment matters & develops case studies of settlements that may have been improper. [read more]