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Witness Jonathan Ingram: 'Criminals steal billions' from Medicaid; oversight reforms urged
Summary
Jonathan Ingram of the Foundation for Government Accountability told the committee that large‑scale criminal fraud and administrative errors together have produced widespread improper payments, and he listed five program failures he said permit such losses.
Jonathan Ingram, vice president for policy and research at the Foundation for Government Accountability, opened his testimony by warning lawmakers that "Criminals steal billions from Medicaid every year." He pointed to recent prosecutions involving international fraud rings and a major autism fraud case in Minnesota as examples that make headlines, but he said many improper payments never reach criminal prosecution because of systemic administrative weaknesses.
Ingram enumerated five policy failures he says enable improper payments: weak initial verification of applicants, infrequent rescreening, hospitals enrolling patients presumptively, importing errors across programs through shared enrollment systems, and a temporary loophole that allows provisional enrollment while immigration status is verified. He argued those choices have produced large improper‑payment estimates and urged Congress to require identity, income and immigration verification before enrollment and regular eligibility reviews.
