Nancy L. Johnson: “That is truly stunning, that is truly stunning, and people ought to try to imagine in their minds what $26 billion would…”

“That is truly stunning, that is truly stunning, and people ought to try to imagine in their minds what $26 billion would buy if it were spent right. You know Medicare is an outmoded benefit package. It does not cover prevention. It only helps you after you get sick. If we had $26 billion that is spent on fraud to use for preventive benefits, would it not be a wonderful thing for the seniors of America? Well, I am proud to say that we passed a bill that put $800 million into fraud inspectors in the regions, and those people are now, most of them are hired. That program will be completely in place in the next few months, and next year when we stand here at least I hope we will have better numbers and we will be able to demonstrate that the Republicans put in place a very strong antifraud effort in Medicare. But I do regret that the President vetoed the bill that would have let every senior in America be part of making Medicare honest.”