The flawed policies driving Medicare waste — and how to fix them
Medicare is losing approximately $60 billion annually due to waste, fraud, and flawed policies. The Trump administration is implementing measures to address these issues, while Congress has the opportunity to enact reforms for greater efficiency. Proposed changes include adjusting payment systems and implementing site neutrality to reduce unnecessary spending.
- ▪Medicare's improper payments are higher in traditional Medicare than in Medicare Advantage, with $28.8 billion and $23.7 billion respectively.
- ▪The current payment system for Medicare often leads to inefficiencies that negatively impact patient care.
- ▪Congress could save taxpayers about $157 billion over 10 years by implementing site neutrality in Medicare payments.
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Medicare hemorrhages about $60 billion a year in waste, fraud, and abuse — money lost from a program serving 69 million Americans. Fraud reflects deliberate deception, but much of Medicare’s waste stems from flawed policy and perverse incentives. The Trump administration is on the warpath, taking unprecedented administrative steps to curb this abuse of taxpayers’ dollars. Congress has the chance to complement these efforts by enacting reforms that would generate economic efficiencies and reduce waste in the giant program.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Washington Examiner.
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