WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a recent press event, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz and Deputy Administrator Kimberly Brandt announced that more than 100 fraudulent DME suppliers have been suspended and the Medicare billing privileges of 725 suppliers have been revoked. The administrators said the fraudulent operators billed Medicare approximately $1.5 billion. Brandt added that removing these bad actors “has wiped out the majority of DME fraud in America.”
The effort is part of CMS’ Anti-Fraud Task Force and follows the nationwide temporary moratorium on enrolling new DME suppliers, giving the agency additional time to strengthen program integrity and combat Medicare fraud.
AAHomecare applauded CMS for taking decisive action to crack down on DMEPOS fraud, declaring: “Fraudulent actors have no place in Medicare, and every dollar lost to fraud and abuse is a dollar taken away from patients who depend on medically necessary care.”
AAHomecare and its members have called for stronger enforcement for years and have consistently offered to work alongside the administration to combat fraud. AAHomecare has consistently supported aggressive efforts to identify and remove bad actors while protecting the trusted providers who deliver life-sustaining medical equipment and services to millions of Americans every day. To watch CMS’ announcement, click here.
