Dear Neighbor,
It's an honor to serve as your State Representative for the 63rd Ohio House District.
I invite everybody to read more about what I'm working on at the Statehouse by visiting my webpage here, or checking out my previous newsletters here.
God Bless,
Adam Bird
State Representative
Ohio's 63rd House District
|
Dear constituents,
You may be aware of recent news articles describing widespread fraud within Ohio’s Medicaid home health program, possibly exceeding $1 billion. I join you all with incredible concern about these reports and want to assure you that the Ohio House Republican Caucus is actively working to strengthen oversight and accountability within the system.
Concerns about fraud within Ohio’s Medicaid system are not new, which is why we have taken action in the Legislature over the last seven years to ensure that public assistance programs are operating with integrity. Governor DeWine vetoed our attempts to review Medicaid spending for potential fraud in both 2019 and 2023. He believed such a level of accountability would cause a “disruptive impact” on operations.
The operating budget that was passed last year implements a broad range of healthcare transparency and anti-fraud reforms that aim to better protect taxpayer dollars. These measures require the Ohio Department of Medicaid to report fraud verification efforts directly to the legislature. To date, the department does not seem to be complying with this law. The budget also requires a joint performance and fiscal audit of the Department of Medicaid by the Auditor of State and increases transparency through quarterly managed care organization financial dashboard reporting.
These news reports describe a whole new level of alleged abuse and fraud within the home healthcare program that must be addressed immediately. Ohio taxpayers deserve to know their money is being spent responsibly and that public assistance programs are operating with integrity. The House has made it clear that fraud, waste, and abuse will not be tolerated, and I am committed to fighting back against any and all fraud identified within our Medicaid system.
I am also committed to working with the Trump administration to root out fraud, and I support the work of both the Auditor’s office and Attorney General’s office to ensure we have tools on hand for Ohioans to report suspected fraud in Medicaid. If someone suspects fraud, they should reach out to the Auditor’s office directly: Call 866-FRAUD-OH (866-372-8364).
Sincerely,
 Adam Bird
State Representative
63rd House District
Ohio Tourism Day
 Rep. Bird had a great time at the Ohio Tourism Day, an annual event held on the Statehouse lawn hosted by TourismOhio. He was able to visit with the Brown and Clermont County booths!
|
