Federal auditor renews concerns of Medicare Advantage gaming

A new federal audit presents more evidence that private Medicare Advantage plans are fudging the data about how sick their customers are, as a way to pull in more taxpayer dollars.

Details: Medicare Advantage plans received $6.7 billion in federal funding in 2017 based on diagnoses — like cancer or heart disease — that were not reflected in the actual care patients received, according to the report from the Office of Inspector General.

Go deeper: The war over Medicare Advantage audits heats up