A lack of oversight in Medicare’s Part D prescription drug program is resulting in criminal exploitation, with criminals using fake medical identification numbers and the identities of deceased physicians to obtain highly addictive drugs, according to a Miami Herald report.
A report written by an independent inspector says CMS is not adequately confirming prescriptions are written by physicians. In 2007, CMS paid $20.6 million for 228,000 prescriptions for schedule II drugs with invalid prescriber IDs. The drugs include painkillers and stimulants that are frequently trafficked, according to the report.
Read the Miami Herald report on Medicare’s prescription drug program.
Read more about Medicare fraud:
– Oklahoma Man Charged for Billing Medicare Nearly $5M for Unprescribed Prosthetics
– Eight Miami Nurses Sentenced to Prison for $18.7M Medicare Fraud Scheme
