Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act of 2024

Mr. Speaker, I thank Madam Chair for her leadership on these very important issues.

Since day one of representing my constituents of the beautiful 27th Congressional District in the Halls of Congress, I promised to never vote to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. In fact, I have been committed to improving or fortifying these programs throughout my time in the House of Representatives. It is with this commitment in mind that I rise today in support of my bill H.R. 8089, the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act.

In these hyperpartisan times, it feels harder than ever to find issues where Republicans and Democrats can come together to find commonsense solutions to help American families and help their lives in what is otherwise a very tumultuous period. That is why I am grateful for the partnership of my fellow Californian, Representative Scott Peters, who was the co-lead for this very important bill.

I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Chairwoman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the staff of Chair Rodgers. Her leadership has been unprecedented in this Chamber. For everything that she has done, I thank her.

Mr. Speaker, I have long said that programs like Social Security and Medicare are, literally, contracts between the government and its citizens. The American people need the government to uphold their end of the contract by paying into and supporting these programs. The American people, literally, are giving their money into these programs and in exchange expect the government to return that money to them on the back side.

Congress must uphold our end by ensuring these programs remain viable and accessible to those who need them. That includes paying out benefits in full to those who earned them, which is why it is so important that Congress prioritize repealing things like the windfall elimination program and other provisions of Social Security by passing bills like H.R. 82, which I am proud to support and hopefully we can bring to the floor for a vote, as well.

Part of this commitment is ensuring that these programs remain solvent for years to come. That is exactly what this bill does. This bill will save Medicare and Medicaid millions of dollars over time by implementing a commonsense measure to ensure that fraudsters and scammers don't, literally, steal dead doctors' credentials to bill Medicare and Medicaid for services that they never provided. Our seniors and Americans deserve to have the funds in these programs used for them, not for scammers and fraudsters.

This is not just about combating fraud. It is about honoring our commitment to programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. These are programs that countless Americans rely on and deserve to be protected. I am proud to support them, and I will continue to support and never cut Medicare or Social Security. I once again urge support for my bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8089) to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8089, the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act is a straightforward bill, and I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia) for putting forth this proposal.

The bill would require States to regularly check the Social Security Administration's Death Master File for doctors who are enrolled in their Medicaid programs and to remove the doctors who are already dead. It almost sounds silly, but it can be quite serious.

When a doctor dies, their national provider identification, or NPI, is not immediately deactivated. The NPI of the deceased physician is low-hanging fruit for a hacker to steal and start billing Medicaid with. This can go on for a long time if no one is checking for suspicious activity.

To address waste, fraud, and abuse, States will need to be an active partner. Removing deceased doctors from a State's Medicaid program is a simple step States can take.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Mike Garcia).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I also encourage a ``yes'' vote on the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8089, the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, sponsored by Representatives Mike Garcia and Peters.

H.R. 8089 would clarify that State Medicaid agencies must check that a healthcare provider has not passed away as part of a provider's enrollment and revalidation of enrollment in the Medicaid program. States must perform this check using the Social Security Administration's Death Master File. This is the same system that H.R. 8084, the LIVE Beneficiaries Act, would require States to use in order to ensure deceased Medicaid enrollees do not remain enrolled in the program. We will also be discussing that bill today.

Ensuring that States check this file helps to identify and prevent waste and, in the case of providers, fraudulent activity of individuals who may attempt to use the identity of a deceased healthcare provider.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. I urge all my colleagues to vote for this bill. It is obviously very important to prevent any kind of fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. I yield back the balance of my time.