Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22) today joined federal agents from the Medicare Fraud Strike Force on a ride along to learn firsthand how they tackle Medicare fraud. The agents discussed the many new, aggressive ways criminals are defrauding the government. Frankel was driven past an assisted living facility that was closed due to a successful investigation.

“South Florida is ground zero for these costly crimes,” said Frankel. “The Medicare Fraud Unit plays an important role in stopping these criminals, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to protect our seniors from fraud schemes.”

The ride along came in advance of Frankel reintroducing the Fighting Medicare Fraud Act of 2014, legislation that will tackle waste, fraud, and abuse and establish stiffer penalties on people who commit identity theft and Medicare fraud. Each year, 1.5 million people are victims of medical identity theft and $50 billion is lost from Medicare annually due to fraud. In addition to this legislation, which was endorsed by the Alliance for Retired Americans in the 113^th Congress, Frankel will continue advocating for more agents and analysts to address the increasing needs of the strike force to crack down on these crimes.

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