Rein in Private Medicare Plan Abuses, Watchdogs Urge Lawmakers

Government watchdog officials Tuesday called on Congress to take additional steps to better police and rein in abuses by private Medicare managed care plans.

During an investigative hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, officials from the HHS Office of Inspector General, the General Accountability Office, and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission all testified that more congressional oversight is needed to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans are providing quality care for program beneficiaries while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.

The hearing follows recent reports about Medicare Advantage plans improperly denying coverage requests, inflating ...