Jan. 28, 2021
HARRISBURG – Continuing its commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars, the state House has approved Rep. Clint Owlett’s (R-Tioga/Bradford/Potter) bill to help prevent waste, fraud and abuse within the state’s Medicaid system.
“We take seriously our collective responsibility to ensure we are supporting people in need through Medicaid and other programs, but we are equally committed to ensuring taxpayers’ hard-earned money isn’t being misused,” Owlett said. “Everyone but the bad guys lose when fraud is allowed to occur in our human services programs. My bill would help ensure the bad guys are the losers!”
Watch Rep. Owlett’s comments in the House chamber by viewing the video box below.
House Bill 108 would create a “do-not-pay” initiative at the state level that is modeled after a federal program designed to monitor and ultimately prevent improper payments. A similar program in Oregon saved the state $286 for every $1 it spent after enacting the do-not-pay law.
Under the bill, the governor’s budget office would oversee the program, requiring all relevant agencies to participate within two years. Agencies would be required to submit annual reports on the initiative to the secretary of the Budget, the inspector general, the auditor general, the General Assembly, and the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee.
The bill also requires that any agency expending federal funds must enter into a memorandum of understanding with the United States Treasury to participate in the initiative.
Owlett’s bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration. A related bill (House Bill 104) that would require state agencies to review their programs and expenditures, and assess whether they are highly, moderately or unlikely to be susceptible to an improper payment, was also approved by the House and sent on to the Senate.