Stop Medicare Fraud Act of 2012

Stop Medicare Fraud Act of 2012 - Amends title XI of the Social Security Act (SSA) to increase the civil and criminal penalty levels for fraud under SSA title XVIII (Medicare).

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6103 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6103

  To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to increase fines and 
  penalties for Medicare fraud to augment Medicare fraud enforcement 
 activities, such as the Health Care Fraud and Enforcement Action Team 
                            (HEAT) program.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2012

  Ms. Hochul introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy 
    and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to increase fines and 
  penalties for Medicare fraud to augment Medicare fraud enforcement 
 activities, such as the Health Care Fraud and Enforcement Action Team 
                            (HEAT) program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Stop Medicare Fraud Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTY LEVELS FOR MEDICARE 
              FRAUD.

    (a) In General.--Title XI of the Social Security Act is amended by 
inserting after section 1128J the following new section:

   ``increase in civil and criminal penalty levels for medicare fraud

    ``Sec. 1128K.  (a) In General.--In determining the amount of any 
civil or criminal penalty specified in this part for an offense insofar 
as it relates to the Medicare program under title XVIII, 
notwithstanding any other provision of this part, the maximum or other 
statutory penalty level otherwise specified under this part for such an 
offense (after application of any inflation or other factor that would 
otherwise apply) is increased to 10 times such level.
    ``(b) Application of Increased Funds To Combat Fraud and Abuse, 
Including the HEAT Program.--Nothing in this section shall affect the 
purposes for which a penalty referred to in subsection (a) may be used, 
regardless of the increased level of such penalty, including for the 
deposit of excess recovered funds into the Health Care Fraud and Abuse 
Control Account (under section 1817(k)) for use in combating fraud, 
waste, and abuse under the Medicare program under title XVIII, which 
includes programs such as the Health Care Fraud and Enforcement Action 
Team (HEAT) program.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to actions occurring after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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