Waste of the Day: $38.5 Billion In Medicaid Funds Improperly Managed
This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire
By Adam Andrzejewski
Real Clear Wire
Topline: State governments spent $38.5 billion to increase Medicaid payouts in 2022, but there is little oversight of how the money is being used, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report.
Key facts: Typically, state governments send money to Medicaid Managed Care, which pays healthcare centers on behalf of patients as needed.
But since 2017, states have been allowed to send extra money directly to clinics to try and improve the quality of healthcare. The practice was originally meant to be used sparingly, but it’s becoming more common.
State governments spent over $38.5 billion on these “directed payments” in 2022,
