[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":71,"_73":71},"mediaId",6285675,"mediaKeyId","2568503-4cb40da1e085647c5f5a42782073e1cd","parentId",2568503,"title","Witnesses: Medicaid and SNAP improper payments are usually paperwork errors; inspectors general play key detection role","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",2629000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2568503-4cb40da1e085647c5f5a42782073e1cd&start=2629&end=2629","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2568503-4cb40da1e085647c5f5a42782073e1cd/thumbnail_2629000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6285675/Witnesses-Medicaid-and-SNAP-improper-payments-are-usually-paperwork-errors-inspectors-general-play-key-detection-role","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285675-dea738a8321bede8d9d967feb2c2f76c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775888415&Signature=h4hoSXt6FdmQWfddg2skCLZM81WppAUbZDwykIfpaVlBGAPWCV2bfGL8tvHmyGq01qa2Nqqto9kZCbdG0pWHIt1AiPbc9n5-gi7xI6D6Qmm4pdDqx1lJ-A41kFOEn1FNg6dRWwHjpXqjmEPqnv0wlMEBBStd8SKspedJG7XZEEMGIEVffbyAvTqt33AUr0vWdgrLExQjjJ0n6uRP7-Y4RZQbUAine60RBugaB8LPwQwYmasZTOy5yKWa4jJcrGrduJK9qBYHhZBsPw1Io5J2bBR7Q0LqZAj6k68n-sumRX9KFxdJbvNaEaETbibfEwZQfJvR5aoFGFg60hgMIqp7mA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform","date","2025-03-11T16:13:50Z","article","Witnesses at the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations said the vast majority of improper payments in Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) result from paperwork or administrative errors, not intentional beneficiary fraud.

\"Nearly all of the people enrolled in SNAP and Medicaid are eligible for their benefits,\" Jennifer Wagner of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities testified, adding that many improper-payment measurements reflect missing documentation rather than ineligible recipients. She cautioned that increased procedural requirements could cut eligible people off and increase improper payments by creating additional opportunities for paperwork error.

Wagner noted federal-state improvements such as ex parte renewals, where data confirm ongoing eligibility without extra paperwork; she cited work by the U.S. Digital Service that enabled more than 5 million people to be renewed with less burden. She also pointed to a 2024 Medicaid eligibility rule aimed at reducing improper payments caused by inadequate records.

Several members pressed witnesses about the role of inspectors general. Ranking Member Kweisi Mfume and others warned that recent dismissals of multiple inspectors general reduced independent oversight and investigative capacity. \"We're already in a situation where 10 of 24 agencies subject to the Payment Integrity Information Act were not fully compliant,\" Mfume said, and he added that firing experienced inspectors general \"was the furthest thing from common sense.\" Witnesses agreed that IG audits and state fraud control units are important for identifying provider fraud and operational errors.

Why it matters: Committee members emphasized that remedies must match root causes. Witnesses warned that overly broad or misdirected reforms aimed at stopping alleged beneficiary fraud could create more harm than benefit by cutting eligible people from programs and straining state agency operations.

Details and evidence

- Root causes: Wagner described many improper payments as the product of missing documentation or case-record maintenance issues rather than deliberate deception by beneficiaries.

- State assistance and technical help: Wagner and other witnesses urged increased federal technical assistance and funding for state systems and staff, noting that under-resourced or antiquated IT and staffing problems contribute to administrative errors.

- Inspector general role: Witnesses and members highlighted the role of IGs and state Medicaid fraud control units in detecting provider fraud and auditing eligibility processes. Members said dismissals of inspectors general have diminished institutional knowledge and transparency.

Ending note: Members on both sides of the aisle described the problem as longstanding and called for targeted, evidence-driven reforms that preserve program access for eligible people while improving data, internal controls, and oversight to reduce improper payments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Shifting Gears: Moving from Recovery to Prevention of Improper Payments and Fraud","oneSentenceSummary","At the same Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing, witnesses said most improper payments in Medicaid and SNAP stem from recordkeeping and process errors rather than beneficiary fraud, and several members warned that recent dismissals of inspectors general reduce visibility into agency problems.","taxTitle","Oversight and Reform: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal","taxId",1835,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":71,"_73":71},6285681,"House subcommittee presses for prevention-first approach, urges extending PRAC and do-not-pay access",4977,2310000,7287000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2568503-4cb40da1e085647c5f5a42782073e1cd&start=2310&end=7287","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2568503-4cb40da1e085647c5f5a42782073e1cd/thumbnail_2310000.jpg","/articles/6285681/House-subcommittee-presses-for-prevention-first-approach-urges-extending-PRAC-and-do-not-pay-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6285681-39ab7cfd7e7dc03585ee469d9b50b4ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1775888415&Signature=Dw8vJyMwp-1b4AZC9wDjnl88sJfsiH0Rw0aWeOeJqStLC1Ax8DIIYMp099JOFE346sVK1h-o5rVCTqoLFV8r5kf~4mvUxeVdzQxSCkzyzXV4Pc0JtJPmXKA7amYfmUZoCXuVATYKd608ZlxbGieGazghpXHx54jFj4VNOnrYGott1ipS9SGPOQwJHVOoSMwL82~IvpiyeaRVQ41lNLSw36u-CvPqXTXPTL4hLI8ds76cUVV8VO6nSfGWYO3Pu7n1XmAAYs0gVWookJBqRjFAJI9K2yGemiiv3buqBTpbXMbtSRxYVGQZxZ2e-vLJR~fI8ECR7K7KyREXmszIPcrcVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations heard bipartisan testimony that Congress should shift from a \"pay and chase\" model to a prevention-first approach to reduce improper federal payments and fraud.

Ken Diefenbach, executive director of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), told members that \"Pay and chase is not the solution. Prevention is.\" He urged Congress to preserve PRAC's analytic capacity, warning that its scheduled September 2025 sunset would force deletion of curated data and the loss of staff expertise built since 2020.

The hearing featured testimony from Kristin Coakley, managing director for Financial Management and Assurance at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), who told the panel, \"The best way to reduce improper or fraudulent payments is to not make them.\" Coakley recommended strengthening preventive controls, broadening the data available to Treasury's Do Not Pay system, and making some pilot data-sharing arrangements permanent.

Why it matters: Witnesses and members said the financial stakes are large. GAO figures cited at the hearing show an estimated $2.8 trillion in improper payments since 2003 and $162 billion reported for fiscal 2024; GAO's fraud estimates range widely depending on program scope and crisis-period spending. Committee members and witnesses agreed that preventing improper payments up front is more cost-effective than post-payment recovery.

Key evidence and proposals

- Data and tools: Coakley urged Congress to make permanent a temporary Social Security Administration (SSA) data-sharing arrangement so Treasury's Do Not Pay can use SSA's full death data to flag likely improper payments. GAO and Treasury said the pilot prevented and recovered millions within months and projected much larger net benefits for a multi-year period.

- Centralized analytics: Diefenbach described PRAC as a central analytic hub that assembled more than 60 major data sources and roughly 1.7 billion data points during the pandemic response. He warned that terminating PRAC would remove cross-program trend analysis and pre-award vetting capacity that can detect schemes that exploit multiple programs.

- Accountability and reporting: GAO recommended assigning senior accountable officials in agencies to lead fraud-prevention efforts and returning reporting on anti-fraud controls to annual financial reports. Coakley recommended agencies report not only on improper payments discovered but also on instances where Do Not Pay flags were present yet payments proceeded.

Committee response and next steps

Members of both parties pressed witnesses on practical reforms. Several members said they plan to move legislation to preserve or replicate PRAC's capabilities and to require stronger preventative controls and reporting from agencies. Chairman Sessions and Ranking Member Mfume said they expect bipartisan work on legislation; the chairman said a draft would be put forward for consideration in the coming weeks.

Ending note: Witnesses framed the issue as technical and data-driven rather than purely partisan, urging Congress to authorize sustained data access, invest in prevention-oriented systems, and ensure analytic capacity survives between emergencies to reduce future improper payments and fraud.

","At a House Oversight and Reform subcommittee hearing, GAO and pandemic oversight officials urged Congress to prioritize prevention of improper payments, keep Treasury's Do Not Pay effective, and extend the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee's analytic work beyond its scheduled September 2025 sunset.","actionData","errors"]

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Witnesses: Medicaid and SNAP improper payments are usually paperwork errors; inspectors general play key detection role

House subcommittee presses for prevention-first approach, urges extending PRAC and do-not-pay access