A state lawmaker says the federal government may expand an ongoing investigation into the finances of Minnesota’s Medicaid services.
Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, said Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) recently told her it may look into fraud concerns she raised nearly six weeks ago.
A candidate for governor of Minnesota, Robbins serves as the chair of the Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
In July, Robbins sent a letter to HHS-OIG saying fraud has occurred in several Minnesota Medicaid-funded programs such as Housing Stabilization Services, non-emergency medical transportation, recovery services, and an autism program.
At the time, the GOP lawmaker said fraud has been “unchecked for years” and the federal government needed to step in and conduct a “comprehensive audit” of the Minnesota Department of Human Services’ (DHS) Medicaid-funded programs.
Robbins said HHS-OIG informed her on Friday that a federal audit of the state’s Medicaid-funded autism therapy services is already underway and the investigation may expand to include the issues she raised in her July letter.
According to Robbins, the HHS-OIG told her “[HHS-OIG] uses a dynamic and continuous work planning process to anticipate and respond to existing and emerging issues with the resources available. As we plan future Medicaid work, we will consider the serious issues raised in your letter, including the issue of proper internal controls within the Minnesota Medicaid program.”
One of the most prominent fraud critics at the State Capitol, Robbins said the HHS-OIG asked her committee to submit any further information that might aid its investigation.
“The fact that the federal government has already begun an audit of DHS’s Medicaid autism therapy services underscores how significant Medicaid fraud issues are in Minnesota,” said Robbins. “Per their request, I will provide them with additional information that could be used to expand the scope of their investigation into DHS, including allegations of fraud in other waivered services such as sober homes, housing stabilization services, treatment programs, and non-emergency medical transportation.”
Additionally, the GOP lawmaker said the Fraud Committee “will continue to dig into these issues, follow the facts, and hold the executive branch accountable. Minnesotans deserve transparency and accountability, and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.”
A spokesperson for HHS-OIG told Alpha News: “We received the letter from State Rep. Kristin Robbins and are reviewing it for further action. We have no additional information to provide at this time.”
Luke Sprinkel
Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
