Political Quotes

“Mr. President, in March, I introduced S. 454, the Strengthening Program Integrity and Accountability in Health Care Act, to enhance the government's ability to combat Medicare and Medicaid fraud. One of the provisions in that bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue regulations to make Medicare claims and payment data available to the public similar to other federal spending disclosed on www.USAspending.gov. That website was created by legislation sponsored by then-Senator Obama and Senator Coburn. It lists almost all federal spending, but it doesn't include Medicare payments made to physicians. That means virtually every other government program, including some defense spending, is more transparent than spending by the Medicare program. Medicare is funded by taxpayers, and in 2009, the federal government spent $502 billion on Medicare. Taxpayers should have a right to see how their hard-earned dollars are being spent. Also, if doctors know their billing information is public, it might deter some wasteful practices and overbilling. On the day that I introduced S. 454, I learned that Senator Wyden was also working on legislation to make Medicare payments to physicians available to the public. We decided to work together. Today, Senator Wyden and I are introducing the Medicare Data Access for Transparency and Accountability Act, Medicare DATA Act.…”