WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today filed legislation titled the Income Verification Act of 2018 to reduce fraud in taxpayer-funded government assistance programs by requiring states to use federal tax information to verify income eligibility. The requirement would apply to the Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) programs.
The bill comes just days after the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office revealed the results of a random sample showing that 82 of 100 Medicaid recipients in Louisiana exceeded income requirements. The Legislative Auditor’s Office projects the state wasted as much as $61.6 million on ineligible Medicaid recipients.
“The report is stunning. It is breathtaking. There are not words in English to describe what our Legislative Auditor found,” said Sen. Kennedy. “In 20 months, between $61 million and $85 million apparently has been wasted. The Department of Health just threw the money in the dirt. Incompetence like this is why I introduced legislation that will require every state Medicaid program and, for that matter, welfare and food stamps to use federal income tax data to determine eligibility. It’s the most accurate income data we have out there. It would be a requirement. Right now it’s optional.”
Here are actual, real-life, specific examples of Medicaid fraud identified by the Legislative Auditor:
Medicaid recipient
Improper Medicaid payment
Months qualified on Medicaid