Breaking-News

By Michael D. Shear UPDATED at 9:55 a.m. Wednesday: Today President Obama will embrace tougher new efforts to fight fraud in Medicare and Medicaid as part of his drive to pass comprehensive changes to the nation’s health care system, the White House announced last night. Officials said the president will sign a presidential memorandum today that directs all federal departments and agencies to expand their use of audits that recapture improper or erroneous payments. They said that could save the government as much as $2 billion over the next three years. In a health-care speech in St. Louis, Obama will also offer his explicit support for bipartisan legislation aimed at expanding the use of so-called “recapture audits” in government agencies, officials said. Together, the announcements are intended to show the president’s seriousness on two fronts: the willingness to incorporate Republican ideas into his overall plans for health reform, and his