Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force is sending a draft of recommendations to Gov. Kim Reynolds that suggests the state more than double the fraud investigation and civil enforcement unit to hold fraudsters accountable.
The task force, which was initiated by Reynolds in July, met for the final time Tuesday and outlined their findings on how to end instances of fraud in the tax-payer supported healthcare system.
Former state officials who have been vocally opposed to the task force said Tuesday that the initiative was “political theater” and that the conclusions it came to were the same recommendations the former officials suggested months ago.
Kevin Techau, former Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing director, said Attorney General Brenna Bird, who led the task force, could have long ago directed her staff to pursue cases under a state law that allows for lawsuits against parties who have defrauded the state.
Techau said Bird and Reynolds have been “sitting on their hands” instead of directing staff to file claims under the state’s civil False Claims Act, which he said other state attorneys general have used to pursue cases of fraud and failure to provide Medicaid-funded healthcare.
“Suddenly, they wake up, just before an election, and decide Medicaid fraud is a big issue,” Techau said. “…So, hallelujah! They finally found the answers, but the answers were always sitting there right in front of them.”
Techau said Iowa nursing homes continue to...
Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force is sending a draft of recommendations to Gov. Kim Reynolds that suggests the state more than double the fraud investigation and civil enforcement unit ...