Political Quotes

“This amendment, Mr. President, provides that any funds which were derived by the more aggressive attack on Medicare fraud would be returned to the Medicare trust fund. We are facing two interrelated challenges. One is combating the rampant level of fraud which exists within our Medicare program and second is ensuring the solvency of the Medicare trust fund. It has been estimated by the General Accounting Office that the rate of Medicare waste, fraud and abuse is approximately 10 percent and in some areas of the country is estimated to be twice that amount. If we could use even the more conservative estimate, an additional 2 million seniors could be served each year through Medicare just by reducing the level of Medicare fraud. Medicare fraud ought to be the first place we look when we are considering reductions in the Medicare Program. Fraud undermines public confidence in Medicare. It is a very cost-efficient expenditure. One dollar spent on suppressing Medicare fraud on average will return in excess of $10 in reduced costs.”