They state:
Last year The Wall Street Journal, together with the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity, obtained from the government limited access to the database. Despite severe restrictions on the data, the paper was able to mine it and expose through a series of articles how doctors and other medical practitioners appear to be gaming Medicare to increase their profits. One physical therapist identified by the Journal as having suspicious billing patterns was indicted last month on charges of defrauding Medicare....Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa said he was prompted in part by the Journal's stories to introduce legislation Wednesday. That legislation states that the government must "make available to the public" data on Medicare "payments made to any provider of services or supplier…." The bill also includes other provisions designed to fight Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
So why not do the following:
1. Open the database so that fraud may be detected.
2. Offer a reward of say 10% like the IRS for any fraud detected.
3. Allow US entrepreneurial efforts seek out the fraud and make them wealth if they do.
This is the American Way, and by doing it in a non Governmental manner you get rid of the problem of slow working Government workers.
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