There have been multiple media reports about personnel from the newly-formed “U.S. DOGE Service” gaining access to data from federal agencies. Some officials have stated that DOGE’s objective in reviewing agency data is to help eliminate government waste and fraud. But the chaotic and secretive nature of DOGE’s activities has led to an atmosphere of confusion and fear surrounding their true purpose and goals. The Center for Medicare Advocacy and the National Health Law Program are particularly concerned about inappropriate access to the personal and sensitive information of millions of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries through the databases of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Social Security Administration. Each of these agencies stores information that could be used for deceptive or unfair purposes. They also house some of the most private information individuals can have regarding medical history and individual health care claims. Strict protocols limit who can access this information, in what manner, and for what purpose. CMA and NHeLP are monitoring this situation and will provide updates regarding any significant developments.
Center for Medicare Advocacy Suggests, Instead, that Subcommittee on DOGE Look at Possible Financial Fraud by Nursing Homes
The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency held a hearing on February 12, 2025 entitled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud.” In a Statement for the Record, the Center for Medicare Advocacy identified two issues involving potentially improper payments and fraud by some skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) receiving Medicare reimbursement for care: (1) SNFs receiving Paycheck Protection Program funds for which they were ineligible (see “CA Nursing Home Chain Must Repay $18 Million in PPP Loans” (CMA Alert, Jan. 30, 2025) and (2) SNFs failing to comply with longstanding regulations addressing related party business dealings (see “Hidden Profits that Detract from Nursing Facility Care Are Unregulated and Ignored” (CMA Special Report, Jan. 2025).
February 20, 2025 – A. Bers & T. Edelman