April 13th, 2010

Reports KYW Newsradio:

Bucks County congressman Patrick Murphy (R-Pa.) is touting an add-on to the health care reform law that actually passed with bipartisan support.

The new law, known by the acronym “IMPROVE” (Improving Medicare and Medicaid Policy for Reimbursement through Oversight and Efficiency), requires health care providers getting government money receive it electronically through bank accounts. 

Congressman Murphy (above right):

“The reason why the Improve Act is important is that every single year there is $60 billion wasted in the Medicare program and we need to cut the fraud, waste, and abuse that occurs.”

…often when a shady provider would submit a fraudulent bill and use a check-cashing agency untraceably.  Murphy says a scheme like that in Miami hit $100 million before being stopped. 

Ray Landis of AARP (above left) is impressed:

“This stops the fraudulent distribution of Medicare funds through post office boxes.”

IMPROVE takes effect later this year.