Pretty, Shiny Medicaid Policy Trinkets

Today, the Michigan Department of Community Health has introduced proposed policy changes to the state's Medicaid Provider Policy Manual. These changes affect the programs of Medicaid, Adult Benefits Waiver, Children's Special Health Care Services, Children's Waiver, Maternity Outpatient Medical Services, MIChoice Waiver, Plan First!

Unfortunately, Department of Community Health, has neglected to address the prevailing issues surrounding fraud, particularly in child welfare, once again.

The state has distracted the public from stopping Medicaid fraud by dangling yet more shiny trinkets of policy initiatives.

Legislation has been introduced for the creation of the position of a Medicaid Inspector General and has been recommended for passage, but this does very little to address the aberrant billing and revenue-maximizing schemes institutionalized in child welfare.

There is no way the bill will ever make it out of this session of the Michigan Legislature as it has been positioned to die before it ever makes it to the desk of the Governor and this is a good action. If the Governor would to sign law to the creation of a Medicaid Inspector General, this would be a state mea culpa in the blatant public admission of failing to aggressively stop Medicaid fraud, leaving the state open to another percipitous adjustment of the Federal Funding Percentage.

Until Medicaid fraud in child welfare is openly discussed on a national level, policy initiatives such as these will continue to sweep the problem under the rug by the straw broom of state legislation.

I don't know, maybe the Michigan Medicaid Inspector General is going to be just as effective as the Michigan Department of Human Services Inspector General, where it states:

"All investigations found to contain the elements of fraud are forwarded to the appropriate authority for criminal disposition or are sent to the appropriate area within the Michigan Department of Human Services for administrative action."

TRANSLATION: "ALL INVESTIGATIONS FOUND TO CONTAIN THE ELEMENTS OF FRAUD ARE FORWARDED TO THE APPROPRIATE TRASH CAN FOR DISPOSAL OR ARE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE AREA WITHIN THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR SHREDDING."

For more information on how to create public relations campaigns to cover up Medicaid fraud in child welfare, contact the American Psychological Association or the Women's World Summit Foundation.