Two Republican senators are urging the comptroller general of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit health care providers under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.
The request by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rick Scott (R-FL) follows reports on similar programs where GAO uncovered potential fraud through improper payments causing an increase in the cost of the FEHB Program.
“GAO’s previous work on similar issues in the Medicare program and the Veterans Community Care program has uncovered a number of potentially ineligible providers, flagged weaknesses in provider vetting controls, and made valuable recommendations for improving program integrity and managing the potential risk to the care of Medicare enrollees and veterans, respectively, from ineligible providers,” the senators wrote to Gene Dodaro, comptroller general of the GAO.
The FEHB Program is the largest employer-sponsored health insurance program in the country, covering more than eight million federal employees, retirees, and family members at an annual cost of more than $59 billion.
“The size and complexity of the FEHB Program heightens the risk of fraud and error. Accordingly, it is incumbent on lawmakers, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)—which administers the FEHB program—and the health insurance carriers that provide health care services to FEHB members, to make safeguard taxpayer dollars,” the senators wrote.