AARP Endorses Bill to Crack Down on Medicare Fraud

Source: AARP Press Center | 2009-05-14

May 14, 2009

Contact: AARP Media Relations, 202-434-2560, media@aarp.org

WASHINGTON—AARP today announced its endorsement of the bipartisan “Seniors and Taxpayers Obligation Protection (STOP) Act,” sponsored by Senators Mel Martinez (R-FL), Bill Nelson (D-FL) and John Cornyn (R-TX). This legislation will help curb the billions of dollars spent on Medicare fraud each year. A statement from AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond follows:

“The skyrocketing costs of health care are hurting our wallets and the bedrock programs like Medicare that millions of Americans depend on. That’s why AARP is working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to reform the health care system—including cracking down on the fraud, waste and abuse that are driving up costs.

“Medicare should be a leader in fraud prevention, but has too often been stifled by inadequate funding to detect and prosecute fraud. The bill introduced by Sen. Martinez and his colleagues boosts funding to crack down on billions of dollars in Medicare fraud and takes several common-sense steps to protect people in Medicare and the program itself.

“AARP is proud to endorse the STOP Act, and we look forward to working with Sen. Martinez and other lawmakers to ensure that Medicare fraud prevention is included in comprehensive health reform.”

For details on AARP’s health reform priorities, visit http://www.aarp.org/governmentwatch.

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