Medicare drug program falls short in tracking fraud

Medicare's massive drug program continues to be in the news, from a report finding that it fails to adequately track fraud, to continued opposition to an administration proposal that would revamp the program.

ProPublica: Medicare's Drug Program Needs Stronger Protections Against Fraud, Watchdog Says
Medicare has failed to adequately track fraud in its massive prescription drug program, according to a new report today from the agency's watchdog. In particular, the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that fewer than half of the insurance companies paid to administer Medicare's drug program reported data to the federal government about potential fraud and abuse cases between 2010 and 2012 (Ornstein, 3/4).

CQ HealthBeat: Medicare Drug Proposal Riles Lawmakers And Health Industry
Opponents of a proposal to remove antidepressant and immunosuppressant drugs from all Medicare drug formularies are ramping up calls for the administration to withdraw the proposed rule entirely. Friday is the deadline for comments on the proposed regulations, and lawmakers of both parties as well as many stakeholder groups have voiced opposition to the changes to the Medicare Part D program (Ethridge, 3/3).

Earlier, related KHN coverage: Administration Faces Opposition To Changes In Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Carey, 3/3).