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An alleged Medicare fraud scheme scammed insurance companies out of $2 Billion

This picture taken in the production unit of stents and catheters of the BALT company in Montmorency shows catheters.
This picture taken in the production unit of stents and catheters of the BALT company in Montmorency shows catheters.

In 2022, the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services published areportwarning thatMedicare’s payment rates for urinary catheters were too high.

The report stated that lowering the costs for these products could save Medicare millions.But despite this warning, claims forurinary catheters began spiking just weeks later.

On Feb. 9, The Washington Post published a story detailing two years and $2 billion worth of alleged fraud. We chat withDan Diamond, national health reporter for The Post, about how Medicare missed all the warning signs.

Copyright 2024 WAMU 88.5

Emilce Quiroz