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Witnesses: Medicaid and SNAP improper payments are usually paperwork errors; inspectors general play key detection role
Summary
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.
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-stat…
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