Crooks are taking advantage of lax oversight in Medicare’s Part D prescription drug program

See Fraud found in Medicare drug program from the AP. Excerpts:

"Crooks are taking advantage of lax oversight in Medicare’s Part D prescription drug program to obtain highly addictive drugs including oxycodone, Ritalin, and methadone, according to results of a federal probe.

The report by an independent inspector said Medicare can’t verify all the prescriptions it pays for, leaving the system open to exploitation by criminals using fake medical ID numbers and the identities of dead doctors."

"Critics say pharmacies are getting around safeguards in the system, making it nearly impossible for federal health officials to track whether a licensed doctor prescribed the drug and in what quantities.

“It’s similar to placing a combination lock on a gate to protect what’s inside but then allowing any combination to open the gate,’’ said Robert Vito, a regional inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services, during testimony before Congress last year."