The findings by the inspector general of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services complement a recent ProPublica
review that found many doctors bill for services very differently than their
peers.
Medicare spent $6.7 billion too much for office visits and
other patient evaluations in 2010, according to a new report from the inspector general of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services.
But in its reply to the findings, the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services, which runs Medicare, said it doesn't plan to review the
billings of doctors who almost always charge for the most-expensive visits
because it isn't cost effective to do so.
The inspector general's report, released today, estimates
that overpayments account for 21 percent of the $32.3 billion spent on
evaluation and management (E&M) services in 2010. The E&M category
includes office visits, emergency room assessments and inpatient hospital
evaluations.
This is the second time that the inspector general has
singled out this area for more scrutiny. In 2012, the watchdog said physicians
had increasingly billed Medicare for more intense—and more expensive—office
visits over time. But that didn't prove the claims were improper.