U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-3) has fired off an angry letter to the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) after the agency failed to meet demands by members of the Missouri Congressional Delegation to respond to reports of taxpayer funding abuses at the Serco facility in Wentzville located inside the congressman’s district.

In mid-May, Luetkemeyer and Missouri U.S. Reps. Sam Graves, Vicky Hartzler, Billy Long, Ann Wagner and Jason Smith set a May 31 deadline for answers to a series of questions regarding the Serco facility to learn more about CMS’ role in the contracting and oversight of this operation which processes applications for the health care exchanges established under the president’s health care law known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). 

In a letter sent yesterday to CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, Luetkemeyer noted the missed deadline and again demanded details about the nature of the Serco contract and its structure including compensation the company was to receive based on the number of employees working rather than amount of work to be done or employees needed to meet applicant demand. Also being sought is information on historical Serco staffing levels at all federally contracted Serco facilities including Wentzville and reports or other information stemming from any CMS staff visit to Serco facilities indicating whether or not any oversight or action against Serco was or has been taken. 

“The fact that CMS would completely ignore a request by the people’s representatives for answers to some very serious questions is a slap in the face of all American taxpayers especially when you consider the breadth of the alleged abuse of taxpayer dollars,” Luetkemeyer said. “I am again calling on Administrator Tavenner to step up and provide the American people with the answers they deserve. Anything short of that is completely unacceptable.”