(Boca Raton, FL) The recent discovery of $74 million in Medicare fraud orchestrated by home health providers in Miami has prompted Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) to join a new effort in Congress to target this rising threat to the Medicare system. Today, Rep. Deutch announced he is joining colleagues Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) in calling for a temporary moratorium on new home health agencies until more aggressive anti-fraud protections are implemented. 

“I applaud Secretary Kathryn Sebelius and Attorney General Eric Holder for using the new anti-fraud tools launched under Obama to arrest 91 individuals across America charged with defrauding Medicare to the tune of $430 million,” said Congressman Deutch. “Even as we commend this progress, I am appalled that $74 million of this fraud came from home health providers in Miami. At a time when home health care is rising in popularity among seniors as a way to improve their quality of life, prolong independent living, and stay in their homes and communities, these fraudsters threaten to undermine faith in this industry. While the recent fraud uncovered in Florida shows us that our crackdown on Medicare fraud is working, the sheer magnitude of these charges demands more action.

“Today, I am announcing that I will join my colleagues Rep. McGovern and Rep. Jones on a bipartisan call for a temporary, targeted suspension of approvals for new home health agencies until more anti-fraud measures are put in place. While Mitt Romney pledges to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s $700 billion in savings to Medicare, which include these critical fraud prevention measures, I look forward to working with the Obama Administration to ensure Medicare takes every step necessary to crack down on the rising threat posed by home health fraud.”