Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed an executive order creating the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force to identify and reduce fraud, waste, and abuse within Iowa’s Medicaid program. The task force will be chaired by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and includes leaders from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Iowa Medicaid, the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL), the Department of Management, and the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Representatives from Iowa’s three managed care organizations (MCOs) also will serve on the panel. Reynolds says, “Safeguarding federal programs like Medicaid from bad actors requires accountability at every point in the process, from member eligibility verification to provider enrollment and billing. By identifying and eliminating fraud and abuse from Iowa Medicaid, we will protect taxpayer dollars, strengthen public trust, and ensure these critical benefits remain available to the Iowans who not only qualify for them, but rely on them for their health and well-being.” The task force will also examine ways to align Iowa’s efforts with federal Medicaid integrity initiatives, invest recovered funds in fraud-detection technology, strengthen oversight of the provider network, and expand public reporting of suspected fraud. The group must hold its first meeting by July 17 and deliver recommendations for a statewide strategy to the governor within 120 days.
