Rep. Angie Craig’s Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Improper Medicaid Payments Passes the House

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Gus Bilirakis’ (R-FL) bipartisan legislation to prevent Medicaid payments from being issued on behalf of deceased enrollees passed the U.S. House in a unanimous bipartisan vote.

The bill passed the Energy and Commerce Committee with unanimous support from both parties back in June.

“Wasteful spending has gotten out of control – we've got to rein in government spending when it’s not helping everyday Americans. That’s why I partnered with Rep. Bilirakis on this bill and why I’m so proud to see it pass the House with support from both parties this week,” said Rep. Craig.

A recent reportspanning 14 states revealed more than $249 million – and $3.7 million in Minnesota – made in payments on behalf of deceased enrollees between 2009 and 2019.

The bipartisan Leveraging Integrity and Verification of Eligibility (LIVE) Beneficiaries Act seeks to prevent those wasteful payments by requiring states to verify through a quarterly check with the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File database that Medicaid recipients are not deceased and remove any deceased beneficiaries from their databases.

Text of the bipartisan LIVE Beneficiaries Act can be found here

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