Floor SpeechBipartisan2025-03-11

FIGHTING MEDICAID FRAUD

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Context

On 2025-03-11, Representative Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY-11) delivered a floor speech titled "FIGHTING MEDICAID FRAUD" in the House. The speech addressed healthcare and also covered trade policy.

Full Text

FIGHTING MEDICAID FRAUD

Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1075-H1076] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FIGHTING MEDICAID FRAUD (Ms. Malliotakis of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise to highlight the rampant fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid that is draining American taxpayers and hurting our most vulnerable seniors, disabled, and other Americans who rely on this program. Yesterday, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, told us something shocking, that one out of four Medicaid payments are improper payments--one out of every four. This echoes a 2024 report from the Biden administration's Office of Management and Budget that designated Medicaid and Medicare as a high priority for susceptibility to fraud, waste, abuse, improper payments, and overpayments. In 2024, the Government Accountability Office released a report estimating over $100 billion in improper payments were made in the Medicare and Medicaid programs for the fiscal year 2023. Now, I could read some of these headlines that highlight it in the media. There was a CNBC report that detailed how Medicare and Medicaid programs are being brazenly targeted by sophisticated criminals to the tune of $100 billion a year. ``Lack of State oversight spurs Medicaid fraud,'' says Spectrum New York. ``Scammers ripped off NY's controversial Medicaid home care program to the tune of $68 million,'' from the New York Post. The New York Times says: ``Staggering Rise in Catheter Bills Suggests Medicare Scam.'' ``Florida Man Indicted for [Medicare and] Wire Fraud . . . in $97 Million Scheme.'' ``Medicaid program suspended from two south Jersey nursing homes,'' after being ``accused of taking $83 million from nursing homes funded by New York Medicare and Medicaid.'' ``Fiscal year 2023 proved to be a high-value one for healthcare frauds and settlements, with the DOJ totaling $2 billion in illicit activity.'' In California: ``Attorney General Bonta Announces Indictment of Southern California Healthcare Provider for Medi-Cal Fraud of Nearly $60 Million.'' CEO of ``Digital Health Company Arrested for $100M Adderall Distribution and Healthcare Fraud Scheme.'' In New York: ``Doctor Convicted of $24M Medicaid Fraud Scheme.'' ``Attorney General James Announces Convictions and Sentences of Five Taxi Company Owners in Orange and Rensselaer Counties for Stealing Millions from Medicaid.'' ``Florida Telemarketer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for $67 Million in Medicare Fraud Scheme.'' In San Antonio: ``Hill County doctor sentenced 10 years in prison, $26 million in restitution for Medicaid fraud scheme.'' I can go on and on, reading headline after headline about the rampant fraud and abuse in this program that is actually taking away--that is what is hurting our vulnerable Americans who rely on this program, the fraudsters who are stealing the money. My Governor, Kathy Hochul, lied to New Yorkers about what Republicans [[Page H1076]] are really trying to do. Our real goal is to root out this waste, fraud, and abuse to protect benefits for our eligible recipients. Kathy Hochul said it herself in her own words. She pointed out how fraudulent the program is. In July 2024, the Governor said that the State's Medicaid Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program has ``become a racket.'' She said it is ``one of the most abused programs in the entire history of the State of New York.'' She said that the current trajectory of Medicaid spending is ``not sustainable.'' Other Democrats have pointed out the same things. Attorney General Garland, President Biden's Attorney General, in a 2024 speech regarding healthcare fraud, announced charges against 193 defendants for over $2.75 billion in false Medicare and Medicaid claims, and that was just one event. New York Attorney General Letitia James, in a January 2025 speech, said: ``Companies that illegally profit by exploiting Medicaid patients steal taxpayer money and undermine the healthcare system that all New Yorkers rely on.'' To my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, let's work together to actually fix this. Let's work together to go after those fraudsters to eliminate this abuse that we are seeing in this system so we can preserve this very important program that our seniors, our disabled, our children with developmental disabilities, and vulnerable Americans rely on. Let's not play partisan politics with something that is so critically important to so many New Yorkers and Americans across the country. ____________________

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FIGHTING MEDICAID FRAUD Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 45 (Tuesday, March 11, 2025)] [House] [Pages H1075-H1076] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] FIGHTING MEDICAID FRAUD (Ms. Malliotakis of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 minutes.) Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Madam Speaker, I rise to highlight the rampant fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid that is draining American taxpayers and hurting our most vulnerable seniors, disabled, and other Americans who rely on this program. Yesterday, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, told us something shocking, that one out of four Medicaid payments are improper payments--one out of every four. This echoes a 2024 report from the Biden administration's Office of Management and Budget that designated Medicaid and Medicare as a high priority for susceptibility to fraud, waste, abuse, improper payments, and overpayments. In 2024, the Government Accountability Office released a report estimating over $100 billion in improper payments were made in the Medicare and Medicaid programs for the fiscal year 2023. Now, I could read some of these headlines that highlight it in the media. There was a CNBC report that detailed how Medicare and Medicaid programs are being brazenly targeted by sophisticated criminals to the tune of $100 billion a year. ``Lack of State oversight spurs Medicaid fraud,'' says Spectrum New York. ``Scammers ripped off NY's controversial Medicaid home care program to the tune of $68 million,'' from the New York Post. The New York Times says: ``Staggering Rise in Catheter Bills Suggests Medicare Scam.'' ``Florida Man Indicted for [Medicare and] Wire Fraud . . . in $97 Million Scheme.'' ``Medicaid program suspended from two south Jersey nursing homes,'' after being ``accused of taking $83 million from nursing homes funded by New York Medicare and Medicaid.'' ``Fiscal year 2023 proved to be a high-value one for healthcare frauds and settlements, with the DOJ totaling $2 billion in illicit activity.'' In California: ``Attorney General Bonta Announces Indictment of Southern California Healthcare Provider for Medi-Cal Fraud of Nearly $60 Million.'' CEO of ``Digital Health Company Arrested for $100M Adderall Distribution and Healthcare Fraud Scheme.'' In New York: ``Doctor Convicted of $24M Medicaid Fraud Scheme.'' ``Attorney General James Announces Convictions and Sentences of Five Taxi Company Owners in Orange and Rensselaer Counties for Stealing Millions from Medicaid.'' ``Florida Telemarketer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for $67 Million in Medicare Fraud Scheme.'' In San Antonio: ``Hill County doctor sentenced 10 years in prison, $26 million in restitution for Medicaid fraud scheme.'' I can go on and on, reading headline after headline about the rampant fraud and abuse in this program that is actually taking away--that is what is hurting our vulnerable Americans who rely on this program, the fraudsters who are stealing the money. My Governor, Kathy Hochul, lied to New Yorkers about what Republicans [[Page H1076]] are really trying to do. Our real goal is to root out this waste, fraud, and abuse to protect benefits for our eligible recipients. Kathy Hochul said it herself in her own words. She pointed out how fraudulent the program is. In July 2024, the Governor said that the State's Medicaid Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program has ``become a racket.'' She said it is ``one of the most abused programs in the entire history of the State of New York.'' She said that the current trajectory of Medicaid spending is ``not sustainable.'' Other Democrats have pointed out the same things. Attorney General Garland, President Biden's Attorney General, in a 2024 speech regarding healthcare fraud, announced charges against 193 defendants for over $2.75 billion in false Medicare and Medicaid claims, and that was just one event. New York Attorney General Letitia James, in a January 2025 speech, said: ``Companies that illegally profit by exploiting Medicaid patients steal taxpayer money and undermine the healthcare system that all New Yorkers rely on.'' To my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, let's work together to actually fix this. Let's work together to go after those fraudsters to eliminate this abuse that we are seeing in this system so we can preserve this very important program that our seniors, our disabled, our children with developmental disabilities, and vulnerable Americans rely on. Let's not play partisan politics with something that is so critically important to so many New Yorkers and Americans across the country. ____________________