RELEASE: Chair Robbins Responds to Potential Federal Audit of Minnesota DHS

ST. PAUL, MN — In late July, Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove), Chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee, and other GOP lawmakers, sent a formal letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requesting a federal audit of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). The letter outlines serious concerns about the widespread failure to prevent fraud within DHS programs and can be read here. 

Late last Friday, the committee received news that the federal government is already conducting an audit of Minnesota Medicaid autism therapy services and would potentially expand its investigation to consider the serious issues raised in Robbins' letter.  

The response, sent by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, said, “OIG uses a dynamic and continuous work planning process to anticipate and respond to existing and emerging issues with the resources available. As we plan future Medicaid work, we will consider the serious issues raised in your letter, including the issue of proper internal controls within the Minnesota Medicaid program.” 

The OIG also asked that the committee share any additional information that could be helpful for their investigation. 

In response to the news, Chair Robbins released the following statement:  

“The fact that the federal government has already begun an audit of DHS’s Medicaid autism therapy services underscores how significant Medicaid fraud issues are in Minnesota. Per their request, I will provide them with additional information that could be used to expand the scope of their investigation into DHS, including allegations of fraud in other waivered services such as sober homes, housing stabilization services, treatment programs, and non-emergency medical transportation. It’s clear that these are not isolated incidents, but symptoms of a broken system and massive failures of internal controls. While the details will likely be limited during an active federal investigation, our committee will continue to dig into these issues, follow the facts, and hold the executive branch accountable. Minnesotans deserve transparency and accountability, and we will continue to provide updates as new information becomes available.”