More Minnesota Medicaid fraud details

If it seems like new details about Minnesota's Medicaid fraud find their way into the news each day, that's because it isn't perception. It's reality. The Minnesota Reformer is reporting that "Minnesota first launched the program in 2020, estimating that it would cost $2.6 million per year. Claims exploded, however, reaching more than $104 million by 2024, according to the search warrant affidavit."

That type of expansion of the Housing Stabilization Services program, unfortunately, isn't surprising. The DFL often start programs off as inexpensive or downright cheap. Once the program is started, though, the program almost always gets real expensive real quick. This is just another example of that pattern.

The Reformer is also reporting that "Dozens of housing stabilization providers were already being investigated in May, KARE 11 reported. Legislators increased requirements for housing stabilization agencies in response to fraud concerns, including mandating further documentation of services and limits on hours." That's a fancy way of saying that GOP legislators didn't trust DFL bureaucrats. That's a wise assumption.

This is especially telling:

The housing stabilization investigation is just the latest suspected fraud across a range of Minnesota safety net programs in recent years, from pandemic-era food aid to services for autistic children to transportation of patients to health care providers. The pattern is consistent: A new program or an increase in funding for an existing program, often lightly regulated, leads to an explosion of providers and billings.

This is especially disturbing:

The search warrant affidavit alleges that the companies being funded by the program — which are supposed to provide housing assistance to vulnerable populations — took millions in Medicaid money while providing few services. KARE 11 spoke to one client who never met anyone from their service provider, Pristine Health, despite the fact that the company had billed Medicaid 46 times for its services.

That's ridiculous. These 'workers' sound more like grifters than anything else. Check this out:

In response to the warrants execution, temporary DHS Commissioner Shireen Gandhi said "the search warrants are the result of the critical partnerships between (DHS), the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Office of Attorney General and federal offices and is an important example of our shared commitment to work together to ensure Medicaid program integrity." That's world-class spin. Minnesota talking about ensuring "Medicaid program integrity" is like Mamdani the Commie professing his deep devotion to ICE. Give me a break.