[MM Curator Summary]: A proposed federal law would expand efforts to ensure Medicaid benefits do not go to those eligible for them.
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WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) in introducing the Protecting Medicaid Beneficiaries Act to expand existing safeguards for Medicaid.
“The Protecting Medicaid Beneficiaries Act would safeguard tax dollars by helping ensure Medicaid assistance goes to those who actually need it, and I’m proud to partner with Sen. Inhofe to protect Medicaid recipients,” said Kennedy.
“If you look at the numbers, it is clear that fraud is rampant within Medicaid, and billions of dollars are wasted every year as a result. Those who truly need Medicaid, should be able to get Medicaid, and our taxpayer dollars should be preserved to that end. For that to happen, we must ensure that individuals trying to game the system are discovered in the first place. That’s why I am glad to introduce the Protecting Medicaid Beneficiaries Act—a bill that will go a long way in ensuring those who need Medicaid, get Medicaid by rooting out misuse of taxpayer dollars within the system and promoting fiscal integrity,” said Inhofe.
The Protecting Medicaid Beneficiaries Act would expand the Asset Verification Services (AVS) program, which helps ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries are legally eligible to receive benefits, to all Medicaid applicants. According to certain estimates as of 2012, waste and fraud accounted for the loss of 10 percent of Medicaid and Medicare spending. As of 2018, the Louisiana Department of Health had sent Medicaid payments to many individuals who were ineligible for them, including people making more than $100,000 annually.
Clipped from: https://www.thewestsidejournal.com/news/medicaid-fraud-bill-introduced/article_5d1bfae8-b041-11ec-9da5-bf925fb09636.html