WTAS: E&C Republicans’ Agenda “Continuing the Fight Against Fraud”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, highlighted widespread support for Energy and Commerce Republicans’ agenda “Continuing the Fight Against Fraud."
Don’t miss what advocates are saying:
Scott Partika, Director, Ohio Department of Medicaid, in support of the Strengthening Medicaid Analytics to Reduce Theft (SMART) Act:
“We welcome initiatives that strengthen state–federal collaboration to safeguard the Medicaid program and appreciate Congressman Balderson’s leadership on the SMART Act. Expanding access to interoperable analytic tools would meaningfully support Ohio Medicaid’s oversight and transparency efforts and help further prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.”
Lanhee J. Chen, Ph.D., David and Diane Steffy Fellow in American Public Policy Studies and Co-Chair, Health Care Policy Working Group, Hoover Institution at Stanford University:
“This comprehensive package of legislation includes important reforms that will ensure that Medicaid continues to serve those who are legitimately eligible for the program, while cracking down on fraudsters seeking to cheat American taxpayers. By enhancing program integrity, making data-analytic tools widely available to assist in the detection of program waste, fraud and abuse, and aligning incentives to ensure that states share in the responsibility of ensuring Medicaid benefits only go to those who should get them, these bills will ensure that Medicaid operates not only more effectively, but in a more fiscally sustainable manner. Congratulations to Chairman Guthrie on his leadership and to the members of the Committee who have sponsored these important pieces of legislation.”
Keith Miskie, President of United Council on Welfare Fraud (UCOWF), in support of the Medicaid Whistleblower Protection Act:
“Imagine two individuals doing the same day-to-day work in the same federal safety net program, but one does it as a federal employee in Washington, DC while the other does it as a state or local employee. The one in Washington, DC as a federal employee enjoys full federal whistleblower protections versus the state or local employee that identifies wrongdoing does NOT, putting themselves and their families at personal risk. Sadly, this is the reality in our nation. This ‘second class citizen’ approach to state and local fraud fighters represents a serious gap in our nation’s efforts to curb fraud, waste, and abuse. America’s fraud investigators are the frontline defenders of beneficiaries and taxpayers, and as the ‘boots on the ground’ ensuring our nation’s safety net is preserved for future generations, they desperately need this legislation. So, on behalf of the United Council on Welfare Fraud – the nation’s only professional organization solely dedicated to the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution, and recovery of fraud in public assistance programs – we applaud the introduction of this legislation, and look forward to working with Chairman Guthrie, and his colleagues in the House, Senate and Administration to make this a reality and create an even playing field for America’s fraud fighters.”
Tarren Bragdon, President and CEO at the Foundation for Government Accountability:
“Medicaid exists to serve the truly needy, but bureaucrat-created loopholes and weak guardrails have left the program wide open to fraud, waste, and abuse. Every dollar taken by fraud is a dollar robbed from taxpayers and from the very people most relying on Medicaid. This builds on the anti-fraud reforms Congress passed in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, giving states and federal officials the tools to stop fraud, claw back improper payments, and hold bad actors accountable. FGA applauds the Energy and Commerce Committee for leading the charge.”
Kevin Garcia-Gallindo, Policy Associate, The LIBRE Initiative:
“Latinos have a vested interest in ensuring Medicaid remains strong for those who truly need it. As the youngest major racial or ethnic demographic in the country, young Latinos are more likely to help finance the program today than rely on it, giving them a significant stake in its long-term sustainability. Yet Medicaid’s greatest vulnerability is that too many safety-net dollars never reach the families the program was designed to serve. Instead, billions are lost to fraud, administrative errors, and weak oversight. When taxpayer dollars are wasted, the people who suffer most are the patients who depend on Medicaid for care. Every state should use the strongest tools available to detect, prevent, and recover improper payments. Doing so not only protects taxpayers, but also helps ensure that more resources are directed to vulnerable families and preserves access to affordable, high-quality health care for those who need it most.”
Bill Rouse, President, The Transportation Alliance, in support of the Strengthening Tools for Oversight to Prevent (STOP) Medicaid Fraud Act:
“Congressman Evans’ legislation is an important step toward bringing greater accountability to NEMT. Requiring electronic verification that a Medicaid-funded trip actually occurred will help identify fraud, stop payments for services never provided, and protect responsible operators from having to compete against bad actors gaming the system. That means more resources for the patients who depend on NEMT and greater accountability for the taxpayers who fund it. We thank Congressman Evans and the House Energy and Commerce Committee for advancing a common-sense reform that strengthens NEMT for patients, providers, and taxpayers alike.”
“We welcome initiatives that strengthen state–federal collaboration to safeguard the Medicaid program and appreciate Congressman Balderson’s leadership on the SMART Act. Expanding access to interoperable analytic tools would meaningfully support Ohio Medicaid’s oversight and transparency efforts and help further prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.”