Medicaid paid more than $207 million for dead people. A new law could help fix that
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building is seen, April 5, 2009, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicaid programs made more than $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died, according to a new report from the independent watchdog for the Department of Health and Human Services.
AI Summary
Main Idea: A new watchdog report says Medicaid made more than $207 million in payments for people who had already died, and a new federal law could help stop the problem.
Key Points:
- The Health and Human Services watchdog found improper managed care payments made between July 2021 and July 2022 for deceased enrollees.
- The report says better sharing of death data, including the Social Security Death Master File, could help states catch bad payments sooner.
- A new law will require Medicaid agencies to check their provider and beneficiary lists against that death file every three months starting in 2027.
- The watchdog said the problem has been persistent nationwide, and past audits have found about $289 million in similar payments since 2016.
Impact on the People
Negative Impact
Taxpayers may face wasted Medicaid dollars when payments go to dead people, and errors can also weaken trust in government health programs.
Positive Impact
New audits tied to Medicaid and Social Security records could stop improper payments and save public money.
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Candidate Entities3 candidates · 5 weighted vote min · 70% decision
- President Donald TrumppersonMajorAI selected
Named president associated with signing the law that expands Medicaid beneficiary audits.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Social Security Administrationgovernment agency or bodyMajorAI selected
Federal agency whose handling of the death file is discussed as affecting the program’s usefulness.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold - Republicanspolitical organizationContextCandidate
Political group tied to the bill and its Medicaid audit provision, but not the main focus.
Include 0 (0%)Ignore 0 (0%)5 to threshold
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