According to the AP/Post, the current $150 million systems were launched in 2009 and were intended as 'one-stop storage' for CMS staff, law enforcement and state agencies to access Medicare and Medicaid data.
However, the report found the systems lack crucial elements necessary to share systems data to allow analysts to identify and prevent payment of fraudulent claims. Further, plans by CMS to share Medicare and Medicaid data with states and implement new system software have been delayed, the AP/Post reports.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said, 'To achieve the maximum taxpayer savings, the federal government needs to do a better job of getting this new technology into the hands of oversight staff working to curb the tens of billions of taxpayer dollars lost to waste and fraud.' Carper has scheduled a hearing on Tuesday to urge CMS to launch the new system software (AP/Washington Post, 7/12)."
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