PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 19, 2008
Seniors and Taxpayers Obligation Protection Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and implement procedures to change the Medicare beneficiary identifier used to identify individuals entitled to benefits under part A (Hospital Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), or enrolled under part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), so that such an individual's Social Security number is not used.
Amends SSA title XVIII to direct the Secretary to establish and implement a system to verify on a monthly basis that the claims for reimbursement under Medicare part B for physicians' services furnished in high risk areas are: (1) for physicians' services actually furnished by the physician (or the physician's group practice); and (2) otherwise accurate.
Requires the Secretary to establish a system to identify the 50 counties most vulnerable (high risk areas) to Medicare fraud.
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Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on the use of technology to provide real-time data analysis of Medicare reimbursement claims to identify and investigate unusual billing or order practices under the Medicare program that could indicate fraud or abuse.
Requires the Secretary to establish procedures to require carriers, before paying a claim for reimbursement for durable medical equipment (DME), prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) to confirm with the National Supplier Clearinghouse: (1) that the supplier's Medicare identification number is active; and (2) that the item or service for which the reimbursement claim is submitted was properly identified on the CMS-855S Medicare enrollment application.
Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations for a unique identifier (serial number) tracking system for payment for DME.
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Secretary must put in place a surety bond requirement for DME suppliers within six months of the date of enactment of this Act in order to maintain Medicare program integrity.
People & committees
Sen. Martinez, Mel [R-FL] · R–FL
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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