Health and Disability

To amend title XIX of the Social
Security Act to require asset verification through access to
information held by financial institutions, to reduce fraud and abuse
in State Medicaid programs, and for other purposes.

Other Bill Titles (2 more)Hide Other Bill Titles

4/10/2008--Introduced.
Medicaid Fraud Reduction Act of 2008 -
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA), for
purposes of determining or redetermining an individual's Medicaid
eligibility, to direct each state to implement an asset verification
program requiring Medicaid applicants or recipients to authorize the state to:
(1) obtain records from a financial institution; and
(2) use them to verify the individual's financial resources.
Directs
the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide payments to
eligible states to establish and carry out practices to reduce fraud
under the state Medicaid program.
Requires the Secretary to report
to Congress on the feasibility of, and potential program savings from,
implementing an electronic system for verifying asset transfers,
particularly of real property, by Medicaid applicants or recipients.
Authorizes the Secretary to require states to implement such a system
if feasible and cost-effective.
Requires withholding of federal matching payments to states for:
(1) failure to implement an asset verification program; and
(2)
any expenditures other than for compensation of a state employee or
payment to a state entity (for instance, expenditures for consultants).
Requires
states to submit to the Secretary state plan amendments for creating
Internet-based transparency programs to improve public disclosure of
Medicaid payments information.
Amends SSA title XI to permit
limitations, restrictions, and suspensions of Medicaid eligibility in
cases of Medicaid-related civil or criminal fraud or abuse.
Provides for an extended period of one year to recover Medicaid overpayments resulting from fraud or abuse.

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