Indy Standard

Senator Mike Braun, during an appearance on Fox Business, revealed that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has accepted his request to audit Medicare in light of recent reports on Medicare fraud. Braun expressed his frustration at the inefficiency and rampant fraud within the system, stating, “Listen to this, $2.7 billion a year on urinary catheters. Part of $60 billion a year and the Medicare trust fund goes broke in four years. The ineptitude of these agencies and the amount of waste and fraud is unbelievable.”

In addition to the audit announcement, Senator Braun discussed the Medicare Transaction Fraud Prevention Act, a bill he co-authored with Senator Cassidy that aims to use artificial intelligence to target Medicare fraud.

The Medicare fraud scheme involving urinary catheters, recently brought to light by investigative reports, has raised concerns about the $2.7 billion increase in taxpayer spending on top of the annual $60 billion lost to fraud, waste, and abuse within Medicare. Senator Braun's proactive approach includes introducing legislation to implement oversight measures at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Upon writing a letter to the GAO along with Senators R. Scott and Vance, Senator Braun successfully secured a full audit of Medicare to address the issues surrounding the $2.7 billion Medicare catheter fraud ring and the annual $60 billion lost to fraud. The GAO's acceptance of the audit request marks a significant step towards uncovering and addressing Medicare fraud.

Senator Braun's efforts underscore the importance of tackling fraud within the Medicare system to ensure the effective allocation of resources and the protection of taxpayer funds.