New act expands efforts against fraud and abuse

President Clinton on August 21 signed into law the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Though much of the publicity surrounded passage of the bill centered on the provision of insurance portability, limits on preexisting condition exclusions, and the establishment of a medical savings account pilot project, the bill also includes a major initiative to expand federal efforts to combat fraud and abuse. This overview highlights the most significant elements of that initiative.