The OIG has issued a report entitled “Medicare Payments in 2007 for Medical Equipment and Supply Claims with Invalid or Inactive Referring Physician Identifiers.” The OIG reports that Medicare allowed almost $34 million in 2007 for medical equipment and supply claims with physician identification numbers that had never been issued or had been deactivated by CMS, including $5 million for claims with dates of service after the referring physicians had died. The OIG recommends that CMS take a number of steps to promote the accurate and appropriate use of physician identifiers, and CMS concurred with the recommendations.