Bean Cracks Down on Health Care Fraudsters with New Bill

WASHINGTON-U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) today introduced a bill aimed at cracking down on health care fraud and holding criminals accountable. H.R. 7569, the Punishing Health Care Fraudsters Act, would impose tougher financial and criminal penalties on those who defraud the health care system, protecting taxpayers and ensuring resources reach the patients who truly need them.

Upon filing, Congressman Bean said, "Health care fraud steals directly from hardworking Americans and weakens the integrity of our health system. Taxpayers are tired of getting ripped off, and I'm fed up, too. Every dollar stolen from taxpayers is one dollar too many. With the introduction of this bill, the days of soft penalties and leniency for fraudsters are over. If you defraud the federal government, be prepared to face serious consequences."

This legislation is the House companion to S.3593, introduced by Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL) earlier this Congress.

Senator Ashley Moody said, "For too long, the American taxpayer has been abused at the hands of criminals who bilk weaknesses in our laws and leaders that won't bolster enforcement. I applaud the White House for creating a new Assistant Attorney General position to investigate this deep-rooted fraud. The fraud that has been exposed in recent weeks is a cancer that undermines trust and stability in critical programs, steals resources from those who truly need them, and raises the cost on consumers. The recently uncovered instances of health and social services fraud in Minnesota have been further proof of just how pervasive this threat is, and my Punishing Health Care Fraudsters Act sends a clear message that we will protect the American taxpayer."

BACKGROUND

The Punishing Health Care Fraudsters Act strengthens penalties for health care fraud, including longer prison terms and higher fines:

• General health care fraud-covering public programs, state plans, and private insurance-is now punishable by up to 25 years in prison (up from 10). Cases involving bodily injury carry a maximum sentence of 30 years (up from 20).
  
• Fraud against federal health programs, including state-run plans, sees fines increase from $100,000 to $250,000 and maximum prison time rise from 10 to 25 years. Penalties for offenses such as false statements, concealment, misuse of another's information, or fraudulently claiming physician services jump from $20,000 to $100,000. Illegal kickbacks tied to these schemes now carry fines up to $250,000. Medicare providers who repeatedly commit fraud face fines up to $100,000 (up from $4,000) and prison time up to one year (up from six months).
  
• The United States Sentencing Commission is directed to update its guidelines and policy statements to reflect these changes and take into account the growing severity of health care fraud.

Read the full bill text here.

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