Rep. Peter Roskam
Rep. Peter Roskam
Illinois Rep. Peter Roskam’s (R-Illinois) co-sponsored bill aimed at reducing Medicare fraud has met Ways and Means Committee approval, placing it a step closer to a floor vote in the full House.
Titled the Fighting Fraud to Protect Seniors Act, HR 6690 would test a smart card program to eliminate payment scams. Co-sponsoring the bill with Roskam is U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon).
“Despite advancements in technology, predictive modeling and authentication security, we have yet to see our healthcare payment systems evolve and adopt innovative tools,” Roskam said in a Sept. 5 press release. “This bipartisan bill will help update Medicare to protect seniors by using credit card style anti-fraud technology.”
Sean Casten
The bill has received the approval of the AARP, National Taxpayers Union, Secure ID Coalition and Zebra Technologies Corp.
“Older Americans are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of identity theft because Medicare cards visibly contain the beneficiary’s Social Security Number (SSN),” wrote Joyce Rogers, AARP senior vice president for Government Affairs. “This technology deserves to be tested and evaluated. Combating fraud and abuse is about more than just saving money, it is about protecting beneficiaries and improving care.”
In the November battle for the 6th District U.S. House seat, Roskam will face Democrat Sean Casten. The 6th U.S. Congressional District comprises the cities of Crystal Lake, Darien, Elgin, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, Rolling Meadows, St. Charles, Warrenville, West Chicago and Wheaton.
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