U.S. Senator Demands CMS Explains How It Fights Medicaid Waste

ANCOR is sharing this item in Politico Pulse because measures meant to reduce fraud in Medicaid can sometimes have unintended effects on people with disabilities. ANCOR notes that Medicaid fraud has been a topic of recurring focus for Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI). Additionally, despite the name not seeming relevant, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has oversight over some portions of Medicaid, notably fraud prevention.

As written by Politico Pulse:

“RON JOHNSON wants CMS to explain efforts to fight Medicaid waste. The Wisconsin senator, who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, is asking CMS Administrator Seema Verma for an update on the one-year anniversary of Verma’s announcement of multiple fraud-fighting initiatives, including new audits.

‘With Medicaid spending now projected to rise at an average annual rate of 5.7 percent over the next decade … it is imperative that CMS utilize every tool at its disposal to minimize waste, fraud, and abuse,’ Johnson wrote.” [Emphasis in original.]