'We Want Our Money Back': Aaron Bean Presses Xavier Becerra On Prosecuting Medicare/Medicaid Fraud

7 months ago

During a House Education Committee hearing last week, Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) spoke about medicare/medicaid fraud.

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Transcript

00:00 Socialism is a superpower and I want to thank you for that work.

00:03 My time has expired and I yield back, Madam Chair.

00:06 Thank you, Ms. Lozier-Fernandez.

00:07 Mr. Bean, you're recognized for five minutes.

00:10 Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

00:11 A very good afternoon, Mr. Secretary.

00:14 Welcome back.

00:15 I've got a – my very first question is something that unites us all.

00:18 How about that?

00:19 It also unites the American people because we're fired up.

00:23 We're all fired up against people stealing our money.

00:28 Medicaid and Medicare fraud, how much do we know?

00:33 How much is being stolen before our eyes, Mr. Secretary?

00:37 We don't have a precise number, but we know that there are folks who are always gaming

00:40 the system.

00:41 It's a very big number.

00:42 And how about this?

00:43 I've got a report from the National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association.

00:48 There is such an association that does a little tracking.

00:51 They say it's 100 billion.

00:55 Does 100 billion sound about right or is that just getting started?

00:58 You know, I've heard many numbers, but I wouldn't be surprised.

01:02 It's a big number.

01:03 Mr. Secretary, the American people tell me we want our money back and hopefully that

01:08 we're going after it.

01:09 The CNBC just did a little news story where they interviewed crooks that are stealing

01:15 our money and they say, the crooks say, it's just so easy.

01:19 It's unbelievable.

01:20 I know that the administration is pursuing and persecuting people, some will say that

01:26 haven't committed crimes at all, but what are we doing to go after bad guys that are

01:31 stealing our money?

01:32 Are we putting them in jail?

01:33 Are we going after them?

01:34 We are.

01:35 We have a team at HHS who does investigations.

01:38 By the way, we are proposing $4 billion to help us do the investigations of fraud detection.

01:43 For every dollar we invest, we return about $3 to $5 to the taxpayer.

01:47 Do we track that?

01:48 We should put that on our website.

01:50 This is how much money we've got back.

01:51 Now, when you find somebody that's committed fraud, do we kick them out of the program

01:54 and you can net, can we ban them for life?

01:57 Do you do that, Mr. Secretary?

01:58 We try to remove those who have violated the law.

02:01 I hope we do because we want our money back.

02:05 There's an issue, you know this, the American people who have health insurance and are covered

02:09 sometimes get surprised by medical billing.

02:13 They think they either go in for a procedure or have an emergency procedure and they get

02:17 multiple bills.

02:18 If they had health insurance, Congress two years ago passed the No Surprises Act to say

02:24 enough.

02:26 The only surprise has been the implementation of your administration that's kind of fumbled

02:32 the ball or at least that's what doctors are telling me.

02:35 They're telling me it's a big surprise that it's not done yet.

02:37 Is this on your radar screen, Mr. Secretary, to fix this problem?

02:41 Absolutely.

02:42 But everybody saw the new game in town and everybody tried to get in and only certain

02:45 ones were eligible and so that's what caused some of the chaos.

02:49 I hope you'll consider that.

02:50 I'm meeting with doctors, there's anesthesiologists, there's dermatologists, there's everybody

02:55 in there and saying we can't get relief.

02:57 The good thing is the consumers are now out of that food fight.

03:01 Let's hope so.

03:02 Let's hope so.

03:03 But people aren't getting paid and it's no fun to work for free and that's what's happening.

03:06 Mr. Secretary, Florida, and I represent the free state of Florida, the Florida Department

03:10 of Children and Families just put out a report this week citing disturbing findings and that

03:15 is that NGOs, non-governmental organizations operating under the guidance of the Office

03:21 of Refugee Resettlement under your leadership are placing children in unsafe, unvetted settings

03:30 and even worse are explicitly prohibited from reporting concerns to law enforcement.

03:35 Are you aware of this report?

03:38 Actually the state of Florida took the act initiative to remove the licensing requirement

03:45 for these care centers which doesn't make any sense.

03:47 Well it doesn't make any sense that this report's come out that's devastating.

03:50 I know we've talked about the 85,000 kids that are missing that we can't find that you've

03:55 called.

03:56 I know you're calling to try to locate them but we're still putting them, according to

04:00 this report, we're putting them in places that we don't know.

04:04 That's not accurate but I understand what you're trying to say.

04:06 So you're aware of the report and I know just earlier you talked about if a kid comes to

04:11 our border and crosses the line and you gave the example of a 15 year old kid, 15 year

04:16 old kid wants a hearing then that 15 year old kid is not sent back home, they're allowed

04:21 to stay and given a hearing.

04:23 What if that kid is 12 years old and says I want a hearing, would we do that for a 12

04:27 year old?

04:28 If an individual crosses the border and says I'm seeking asylum by law.

04:33 Even 12, 12.

04:35 Okay.

04:36 Nine, seven, what age do we say you know what you belong with your parents?

04:40 What age?

04:41 A 12 year old can do it.

04:43 They can't get a tattoo in America because they're not old enough but you're saying a

04:46 12 year old can say I'm leaving my family and we keep them.

04:50 So a seven year old, would you say a seven year old is enough to say I want a hearing

04:54 and you would say you need to stay, we're not going to put you back with our parents.

04:58 Is that what you're saying?

04:59 Mr. Secretary, it's not what I say Congressman, it's what you and Congress have said and by

05:03 statute you say that if an individual requests asylum.

05:06 Mr. Secretary, I just think it's unacceptable as a parent that if.

05:10 And you'll have to change the law.

05:11 These young kids are coming and we're not only are losing them but we're not putting

05:15 them back with the family.

05:16 And you'll have to change the law.

05:17 Mr. Secretary, thanks for coming out today and with that, Madam Chair, I yield back time.

05:22 Thank you Mr. Bean.

05:23 Ms. Houchen, you're recognized for five minutes.

05:29 Thank you Madam Chair.

05:31 Thank you Mr. Secretary for coming before us today.

05:33 I'm going to pick right up where Mr. Bean left off because I too am a mother.

'We Want Our Money Back': Aaron Bean Presses Xavier Becerra On Prosecuting Medicare/Medicaid Fraud

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