New England-Based Information Analysis Center to Produce Reliable Evidence And
Stronger Cases Against Medicare Fraud, Abuse and Waste
PLANO, Texas, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- EDS (NYSE: EDS) today announced that the information technology services provider has won the job of providing the substantiating data and reliable evidence required to successfully prosecute or reprimand those who commit Medicare fraud in New England. The company was selected from a pool of five competing firms by the federal government to create the New England-based Benefit Integrity Support Center (BISC). The data analysis, research, and investigative work performed at the center will augment the fraud prevention efforts currently provided by Medicare insurance contractors operating in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
EDS will perform data analysis services for Part A Medicare transactions conducted in the six-state New England region. Part A transactions cover services provided by hospitals, nursing facilities and home health care agencies. The results of the analyses will be used to determine the factual basis of complaints of potential fraud made by Medicare beneficiaries, providers, and state and federal agencies. Investigative and law enforcement agencies depend on strong evidence to successfully pursue and address fraudulent behavior within the Medicare program.
"Accurate, reliable data is an important key to identifying and preventing health care fraud," said Don Picard, executive director for EDS' Health Care Financing Administration and Medicare relationships. "EDS will use existing capabilities in Hingham, Mass. to help create a center within a few months that will make major contributions to curtailing and preventing Medicare fraud in the New England region."
The BISC is being created under mandate by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), the agency that administers the federally funded Medicare program. The EDS-led BISC will support the fraud detection efforts currently provided by Medicare contractors operating in the six states.
The assignment to establish the BISC was among the first released under the recently created Medicare Integrity Program. It is anticipated that early next year HCFA will release seven new assignments for competitive bid. Over the next five years HCFA is expected to award approximately $500 million in Medicare fraud prevention contracts to the 13 competing companies in the MIP Program Safeguard contracting pool.
EDS currently leads a team of companies in detecting fraud, abuse and waste in the Texas Medicaid program, where state officials have identified millions in misused funds since the contract began two years ago. The company is also using high-performing fraud detection technologies in Northern California's Medicare program and is introducing state-of-the-art fraud detection technology to the managed health care marketplace.
About EDS
EDS, a leader in the global information technology services industry for more than 35 years, delivers management consulting, electronic business solutions, and systems and technology expertise to improve the performance of more than 9,000 business and government clients in about 50 countries. EDS reported revenues of $16.9 billion in 1998. The company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. Visit EDS via the Internet at http://www.eds.com.
Contact:
Delbra Bristol - EDS
(+1) (972) 604-6075
delbra.bristol@eds.com
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