Corner Drugstores Hotbed For Medicare Fraud

The nation's fabled corner drugstores appear to be hotbeds of Medicare fraud. The Health and Human Services IG has found 2,600 local pharmacies were paid $5.6 billion in questionable Medicare claims. A drugstore in Kansas submitted bills showing two patients each received 1,000 prescriptions in a single year. The research was directed by the New York regional inspector general's office. It used statistical analysis to look at a billion transactions. Marilyn Tavenner, Medicare administrator, said she accepted the findings, but she said asking insurers to police drug store billings would be burdensome.