House Passes Medicaid Audit Bill
Before it died amidst last year's Right to Work filibuster in the Senate, a bill requiring an independent audit of Medicaid's rolls appeared well on its way to passage. The legislation would have required that a third-party vendor be used to cross-reference residency, income, and other data about the state's Medicaid enrollees to ensure that those in program were, in fact, qualified for it. The concern here is that as the cost of Medicaid skyrockets in the state, other state spending priorities will be pushed aside.
High among those jeopardized priorities: state benefits for some of Medicaid's very neediest beneficiaries. This video from the Foundation for Government Accountability provides an example from cash-strapped Illinois.
The good news is that this year both the House and Senate have passed legislation to implement these regular audits. Barring any legislative hiccups in the final mile, this could be good news for taxpayers, currently qualified Medicaid beneficiaries, and other state priorities. Stay tuned.
