Unchecked Medicare Fraud

One of the joys of government-funded health services is the potential for fraud. This 2008 series by the Miami Herald chronicles South Florida's Medicare Racket.

It's a growing industry but few prosecutions.

The Benitezes -- who came to this country in 1995 and became U.S. citizens five years later -- have a lot of company. They are among 56 fugitives charged since 2004 with filing at least $272 million in phony Medicare claims before disappearing from Miami-Dade. Collectively, the fugitives absconded with at least $142 million in taxpayer funds.

Eduardo Moreno who was involved in a $7.2 million scam was one of 18 8 identified fugitives suspected of fleeing to Cuba -- with another 18 escaping to other parts of Latin America, Europe, Canada, Florida or unknown locations.

The biggest scams are bogus HIV claims and phony "medical equipment suppliers." Graphic

Congress tight with Medicare anti-fraud funds
Subhead: Congress for years has turned a deaf ear to requests by the Medicare agency for money to fight fraud, which a Miami Herald investigation has identified as a threat to the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

Medicare agency stymied in quest for 'a pound of cure'"Using a supercomputer, LexisNexis linked certain Medicare providers that submitted medical equipment, home healthcare and nursing facility bills with a network of vital public records.

The company found that 4 percent of the claims -- totaling $3.2 billion -- were suspicious, in part because either the physician or patient was dead. Some providers had criminal histories or Medicare sanctions."