Congresswoman Claudia Tenney spoke on Apr. 21 during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing about the impact of Medicare fraud on patients and taxpayers, with a focus on seniors in Upstate New York.
The issue is significant because large-scale fraudulent activity can reduce access to care for vulnerable populations, particularly in rural areas. Tenney said that organized schemes are distorting Medicare payment data nationwide and making it harder for legitimate providers to serve patients.
During the hearing, Tenney described her previous actions to combat fraud, including a letter she sent last fall to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz regarding suspicious billing activity. She cited an example of one doctor who billed more than $600 million between 2020 and 2025. Although this led to enforcement action, Tenney said that such cases do not address broader systemic issues. She pointed out trends in Los Angeles County, California, where over 1,400 new home health agencies have started since 2020. The county now represents 12 percent of all Medicare home health spending despite having a small share of beneficiaries; payments per beneficiary there are nearly six times the national average.
Tenney warned that these patterns affect other regions as well: in Upstate New York, home health admissions have dropped almost 40 percent since 2018 and nearly half of referred patients do not receive care. “When fraud takes over Medicare, patients are the ones who suffer,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “What we are seeing is organized, large-scale abuse that is distorting payment systems and forcing legitimate providers to scale back or shut down. In places like my district in Upstate New York, seniors rely on home health care to remain independent, yet nearly half of those referred never receive it. When fraudulent activity is treated as normal in Medicare data, it drives harmful policy decisions that punish honest providers and leave patients behind. We must restore accountability, protect taxpayer dollars, and ensure seniors can access the care they need.”
Tenney has served in Congress representing New York’s 24th district since replacing Anthony Brindisi in 2021 according to biographical information. Before joining Congress she served in the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2016 according to available records. Born in New Hartford in 1961 and currently living in Canandaigua according to background sources, she holds degrees from Colgate University (BA) and University of Cincinnati (JD) as reported by educational history.
The committee’s attention highlights ongoing concerns about protecting both patient welfare and public funds amid rising reports of healthcare fraud.
