Trump proposes mandatory prison terms for benefit-programme fraud
US President Donald Trump has called on Congress to approve legislation imposing mandatory minimum prison sentences on people convicted of defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, while also proposing personal financial liability for officials who knowingly fail to stop fraud.
US President Donald Trump has called for tougher penalties against people who defraud Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, proposing mandatory minimum prison sentences and an end to probation for offenders. Trump announced the proposal in a video released on Saturday. He said prison terms would be linked to the amount stolen and that repeat offenders would face sentences twice as long as those imposed for a first offence.
“Under our proposal, probation is no longer an option for the fraudsters,” Trump said, adding that people who stole from Americans would face lengthy imprisonment. The president also proposed holding state and local politicians personally liable for losses when they knew about fraud, had the authority to stop it and failed to act. He said such officials could be responsible for the full amount of taxpayer money that should have been protected.
Trump urged Congress to pass legislation containing the measures. He said the proposals were designed both to deter fraudsters and to discourage public officials from ignoring fraudulent activity. Medicare and Medicaid provide health coverage to eligible Americans, while Social Security provides benefits including retirement income.
The supplied report did not say whether Congress had acted on the proposal or provide estimates of losses connected to the programmes.
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