Bill Pascrell: “Like my Republican colleagues, I too am concerned about fraud in any public program, whether it's ObamaCare, food…”

“Like my Republican colleagues, I too am concerned about fraud in any public program, whether it's ObamaCare, food stamps, Medicare. Who could be against verification? But this is not about verification. Again, the 41st failed attempt to submarine reform in health care. The question before us today is whether or not the risk of fraud in ObamaCare is so pervasive that we should shut down an essential part of the law. My friends on the other side would have you believe that the administration's decision to delay income and coverage verifications leaves the health care marketplace vulnerable to rampant fraud. This is not the case. First, federally operated and partnership exchanges still will verify such information beginning in 2014. Only 16 States and the District of Columbia will wait until 2015 to begin more comprehensive verification. In those instances, the incentive to provide false information is greatly overshadowed by the benefit of doing so. Lying on the exchange form carries with it a penalty of $25,000. On top of that, anyone who provides false income information will have to pay back the extra subsidies when filing a tax form for 2014. Additionally, States will audit a statistically significant number of individuals, meaning that everyone has an equal opportunity to be audited. Finally, fighting fraud requires an investment of funding and resources.…”