While the demonstration project in South Florida and Los Angeles should indeed help to reduce fraud and abuse, there are ways to make it even more effective.

CMS has publicly announced that its crackdown will unfold over a 30-90 day period, but wouldn’t that give the scam artists a window to accelerate electronic billing on the supplier numbers they already have?? Moreover, will it also give them time to relocate to other areas that are NOT part of the demonstration project? The program would be more effective if it was enacted immediately without giving these scam artists time to adjust. For example, CMS should consider making immediate site visits, and taking a more aggressive step of canceling supplier numbers suspected of being associated with shaky suppliers. Those businesses should be forced to prove they are legitimate.

Many company executives, including myself, have strongly advocated for years that mandatory accreditation for all suppliers would curtail fraud within the Medicare program. Our own reviews (which for the record are not nearly as sophisticated as the government investigations) have found "companies" billing the Medicare system for power mobility equipment while operating from addresses that were dry cleaners, vacant buildings, and garages. Congress has weighed in and has called for action. Last month, the Washington Post reported the third conviction from HHS’ special task force unit.

In most cases, senior citizens and people living with disabilities have been victims of these scams because they never received the products or services. Should the time ever come, most will not be able to receive a power wheelchair or scooter because government records show that they have already received one.

To be sure, if the fight against fraud is to be successful, the government must revise the system so that scam artists no longer have easy access to NSC billing numbers that open the door to Medicare reimbursements. CMS is now requiring accreditation in connection with the competitive bidding program, but that’s a process that will take years to be fully implemented.

What’s needed is mandatory accreditation for all suppliers before they can bill the Medicare program. This would force all suppliers to face a level of scrutiny that would weed out many of the fraudulent dealers and eliminate the longstanding pay and chase approach the government has used for years. Another benefit is that it would improve the credibility of the power wheelchair industry, and help ensure that Medicare beneficiaries receive quality service, as well as quality products. The days of criminals who pay doctors to write hundreds, if not thousands of phony power wheelchair prescriptions are numbered!