A Louisiana Legislative Auditor review found the state’s Medicaid program paid out nearly $10 million over six years for more than 1,000 beneficiaries who had died. The payments went to managed care organizations despite no health services being provided.
The audit, part of Gov. Jeff Landry’s Fiscal Responsibility Program (LA DOGE), examined how the Louisiana Department of Health tracks deceased Medicaid recipients. Using outside sources such as obituaries and the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File—resources the state had not used—auditors identified 679 additional deceased beneficiaries missed by existing reviews.
Payouts for these cases totaled $7.6 million, with some payments continuing for over two years after death. The median delay for one group was nearly 800 days.
The report recommended incorporating third-party data into eligibility checks to prevent such errors. Health Secretary Doug Greenstein agreed, noting efforts to gain federal approval to access the Death Master File. The state has already begun withholding about $4 million in payments to recover part of the overpaid funds.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
