HHS Watchdog Alerts Medicare About Assistive Device Payments

A government watchdog found widespread problems with Medicare’s oversight of reimbursement for braces, which are orthopedic devices used to support injured body parts such as the neck or back.

Medicare paid about $5.3 billion between 2014 and 2020 for orthotic braces, which are among the products with the highest rates of improper payments, according to a report released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

The loopholes included allowing providers to collect payments for devices that lacked proper documentation or medical utility, allowing payments to be made for orthodontic appliances at a value higher than what private…