Medicare Officials' Attendance at Lavish Contractor Meetings Probed

By Gilbert M. Gaul
The Washington Post

Friday 06 January 2006

Medicare officials responsible for overseeing $300 million awarded annually to private contractors regularly attended conferences sponsored by the groups at lavish beach and mountain resorts, according to a Senate panel reviewing the contractors.

In a letter sent Wednesday to the head of the agency that runs Medicare, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee wrote that one such Florida conference "appeared to be more of a party than a diligent working meeting."

Photos of the conference site at the Don CeSar Beach Resort near St. Petersburg "suggest a cruise ship atmosphere," wrote Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa). "The pictures depict a luxurious resort, lavish dinners, dessert buffets, and Hawaiian dance parties - all in a tropical beach locale."