WASHINGTON -- South Florida's reputation as the capital of Medicare fraud came under the congressional spotlight Wednesday with U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta telling a Senate panel the best tool for fighting scams is tightening oversight at the top.

Acosta, who since 2006 has prosecuted more than 700 people responsible for more than $2 billion in fraudulent Medicare billings, told the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging that he started focusing on fraud because he was ''absolutely disgusted'' by the level of scams in South Florida.

But he told the Senate panel that prosecutions aren't the solution.

''If one wants to prevent traffic accidents, one puts up red lights, one puts up stop signs, one has good rules of the road that prevent accidents in the first place,'' he said. "The same applies for healthcare fraud. With additional resources my office could easily double or triple prosecutions . . . but the best way by far to prevent fraud in the first place is to improve the rules of the road.''

He called for changes at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "to ensure rapid payment, yet at the same time identify and deny fraudulent bills.''

And he noted that as South Florida prosecutors crack down on fraudsters, they tend to migrate elsewhere. He said the Tampa and Orlando districts have noticed a spike in fraud and that he has been told Atlanta "has seen an increase as people leave South Florida and set up shop elsewhere.''

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