Rep. Angie Craig’s Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Improper Medicaid Payments Passes Key House Subcommittee
A recent Department of Health and Human Services Report revealed that more than $249 million in taxpayer dollars had been spent on improper Medicaid payments for deceased enrollees
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Angie Craig and Gus Bilirakis’ (R-FL) bipartisan legislation to prevent Medicaid payments from being issued on behalf of deceased enrollees passed the Health Subcommittee today with unanimous support from both parties.
A recent report spanning 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.
“We’ve got to cut government spending when it’s not helping everyday Minnesotans, and I’m glad to see Republicans and Democrats come together to support my common sense bill. I’ll keep pushing to get this bill to the House floor for a vote,” said Rep. Craig.
VIDEO of Rep. Craig speaking during subcommittee markup is here.
Text of the bipartisan LIVE Beneficiaries Act can be found here.
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