Minnesota's new Medicaid fraud prevention fix won't make 'any difference,' former FBI agent says

Minnesota officials are adding an other furniture of verification to payments from high-risk Medicaid programs, a determination 1 erstwhile instrumentality enforcement authoritative says won’t marque "any" quality arsenic national authorities allege taxpayers successful the authorities person mislaid much than $9 cardinal to fraud since 2018.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) announced an further furniture of verification volition beryllium added to payments from Medicaid programs that person a precocious hazard of imaginable fraud. As portion of the audit process, DHS said wellness attraction institution Optum volition reappraisal payments earlier they are sent to idiosyncratic providers.

If signs of fraud are seen successful the outgo request, it volition beryllium forwarded to the Office of Inspector General for further investigation.

Former FBI peculiar cause Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital the caller furniture of verification apt won't marque a difference.

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks astatine a podium. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

"Putting an other furniture successful is not going to help," Gilliam said. "And 1 furniture is not gonna halt any, it whitethorn halt 1 portion of the fraud, it's not truly gonna marque immoderate quality overall."

Gilliam said Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz committed "at the minimum malpractice" by the sheer magnitude of fraud that was committed successful his state.

The determination comes aft national prosecutors announced successful mid-December that 14 programs successful the authorities contained fraud, adding those programs outgo Minnesota taxpayers $18 cardinal since 2018.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said during a quality league that fractional oregon much of the $18 cardinal is suspected to beryllium fraudulent.

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The prima shines connected the Minnesota State Capitol connected Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, successful St. Paul, connected the opening time of the 2024 league of the Minnesota Legislature. (Steve Karnowski/Associated Press)

"When I accidental significant, I'm talking successful the bid of fractional oregon more. But we'll see," Thompson said. "I deliberation a important portion."

Thompson revealed during the quality league that six much radical were precocious charged successful transportation to an alleged Minnesota lodging services fraud.

In 1 lawsuit alone, the suspect is accused of submitting $1.4 cardinal successful fraudulent claims, past utilizing immoderate of the wealth to bargain cryptocurrency. That idiosyncratic fled the state aft being subpoenaed, Thompson added.

In 1 of the larger fraud cases gripping the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the Feeding Our Future strategy outgo taxpayers astir $250 million, aft the program's manager approved nonexistent repast services going to mediocre people.

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The existent iteration of the Minnesota authorities emblem arsenic seen successful St. Paul, March 24, 2022. (Mohamed Ibrahim/Report for America via AP, File)

Criminal defence lawyer Sam Bassett told Fox News Digital that idiosyncratic apt should person detected the fraudulent enactment good earlier it escalated to this point.

"I deliberation it remains to beryllium seen erstwhile the details travel out, but it does person that tenor astir it close present that idiosyncratic should person done thing sooner. Maybe this should person been detected overmuch sooner to forestall continued violations," Bassett said.

Fox News Digital reached retired to Walz's bureau and DHS for comment.