Massachusetts' audit office revealed the state's Medicaid program spent more than $17.6 million on unauthorized, duplicate or potentially fraudulent payments since March 2016.
The Office of the State Auditor found MassHealth issued payments to providers excluded from the state-sponsored health insurance program, duplicate adult foster care payments and inappropriate payments to five dental providers.
Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne Bump said in a statement obtained by the Boston Business Journal "it is frustrating to see evidence of so many ways that money is being inappropriately spent. MassHealth administrators need to redouble their efforts to improve their claims review systems and policies. I intend to work with the legislature to ensure more accountability in the wake of these audits."
The inappropriate payments represent a part of the $14.8 billion MassHealth paid providers in 2016. The state's Medicaid Audit Unit is conducting an additional 13 audits of MassHealth.