,i #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #afba ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #ag1 #bjag,mr4 ,ruiz introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,ways and ,means1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act to distribute additional information to ,medicare beneficiaries to prevent health care fraud1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title2 findings 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,protecting ,seniors from ,health ,care ,fraud ,act of #bjag4 7b7 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,seniors are more vulnerable to fraud than the general population4 7#b7 ,because seniors require more health care services than the general population1 they need more information on health care schemes so they can protect themselves4 7#c7 ,the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services should provide more up-to-date information in order to educate seniors on health care scams4 #b4 ,distribution of additional information to seniors to prevent health care fraud ,section #ahjd of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;b-#b7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7d7 ,distribution of additional information on health care fraud 7#a7 ,annual reports on health care fraud schemes 7,a7 ,in general ,in connection with the ,health ,care ,fraud and ,abuse ,control ,program established under section #aabh;,c1 the ,secretary1 acting through the ,office of the ,inspector ,general of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 and the ,attorney ,general1 shall transmit to ,congress1 and make available to the public1 an annual report on health care fraud schemes that are targeted to seniors and steps that are being taken to combat such schemes and to educate seniors concerning such schemes4 ,the first such report shall be transmitted and made available not later than #b years after the date of the enactment of this subsection4 7,b7 ,contents of reports 7i7 ,in general ,subject to clause 7ii71 each annual report under subparagraph 7,a7 shall include the following information3 7,i7 ,identification of most prevalent fraud schemes ,the identification of the #aj most prevalent health care fraud schemes that are targeted to seniors and the prevalence and trends in such schemes4 7,,ii7 ,protection of seniors ,actions that seniors and law enforcement and government agencies are taking and can take to combat such schemes and to protect seniors against health care fraud schemes4 7,,iii7 ,additional suggestions ,policy suggestions to improve protections for seniors1 including whether the additional information provided under this subsection is helping seniors in protecting them against fraud4 7ii7 ,limitations ,the ,secretary may-- 7,i7 omit information from an annual report on fraud schemes targeting seniors if public disclosure of the information would compromise an ongoing investigation2 and 7,,ii7 report information on fraud schemes by categories in an annual report if a more detailed disclosure of such a scheme would educate criminals rather than seniors4 7iii7 ,private-public partnership ,the ,secretary1 acting through the ,office of the ,inspector ,general of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services and the ,attorney ,general1 may enter into an arrangement between public and private partners to develop the report that identifies the top #aj most prevalent health care fraud schemes and the associated report information4 7,c7 ,quarterly updating ,the information described in clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 of subparagraph 7,b7 shall be updated quarterly to reflect changes in fraud schemes and methods to combat and educate seniors concerning such schemes4 7,d7 ,languages ,such reports1 as updated1 shall be available in ,english and ,spanish4 7#b7 ,dissemination of reports and top #aj list 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall-- 7i7 disseminate the reports under paragraph 7#a7 to ,medicare beneficiaries through mechanisms that reach the most ,medicare beneficiaries2 and 7ii7 provide for the mailing to each ,medicare beneficiary of a list of the top #aj most prevalent health care fraud schemes4 7,b7 ,quarterly updates of top #aj list included with ,medicare summary notices ,the ,secretary shall include an updated list of the top #aj most prevalent health care fraud schemes under paragraph 7#a77;,c7 with the quarterly ,medicare summary notices mailed to ,medicare beneficiaries4 7,c7 ,posting of reports and quarterly updates on websites ,the annual reports1 and quarterly updates1 under this subsection shall be posted on the website of the ,health ,care ,fraud and ,abuse ,control ,program and on other websites maintained or supported by the ,secretary relating to the ,medicare program1 the ,state ,health ,insurance ,assistance ,program1 and ,senior ,medicare ,patrol of the ,administration on ,aging4 7#c7 ,sources of information for reports ,information for the reports and updates under paragraph 7#a7 shall be gathered from at least the following sources3 7,a7 ,department of ,health and ,human ,services ,the following sources within the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services3 7i7 ,medicare hotlines1 including #a-hjj-,,medicare1 #a-hjj-;,,hhstips1 and ,medicare fraud toll-free hotlines and websites 7such as www4stopmedicarefraud4gov7 established by the ,office of the ,inspector ,general of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services and the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services4 7ii7 ,state ,health ,insurance ,assistance ,programs 7,s,h,i,ps74 7iii7 ,the ,administration on ,community ,living1 including-- 7,i7 the ,senior ,medicare ,patrol 7,,smp7 of the ,administration on ,aging2 and 7,,ii7 ,aging and ,disability ,resource ,centers4 7iv7 ,medicare administrative contractors1 fiscal intermediaries1 and other contractors with the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services performing functions which may relate to fraud and abuse under the ,medicare program4 7v7 ,the ,indian ,health ,service4 7,b7 ,department of ,justice ,the ,department of ,justice1 including the ,federal ,bureau of ,investigation4 7,c7 ,,ssa ,the ,social ,security ,administration4 7,d7 ,,ftc ,the ,federal ,trade ,commission4 7,e7 ,optional additional sources ,at the option of the ,secretary-- 7i7 ,state agencies that deal with elder abuse2 and 7ii7 other governmental and nongovernmental entities with expertise in the protection of seniors from health care fraud as deemed appropriate4 4