Apr. 12, 2023
State Inspector General, Lucas Miller, along with Clarke Madden, First Deputy State Inspector General, and Melissa Yerges, Deputy State Inspector General, testified before the House Appropriations Committee. House Republicans focused their questions on how the agency is working to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in state government.
Key Takeaways
· House Republicans share the same vision as the OSIG, that building trust with taxpayers requires a devoted watchdog focused on ensuring program integrity while safeguarding Pennsylvanians tax dollars.
· The OSIG reported that the Department of Human Services has a 40% fraud error rate. House Republicans have prioritized program integrity policies and this is just one more confirmation of their necessity.
· The federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration has ended, and as the Covid-19 Medicaid continuous coverage disenrollment begins, it is imperative that the OSIG continue to be diligent in their investigations to ensure fraudulent benefits are not being received.
· Act 141 of 2022 required the OSIG to complete a report on Unemployment Compensation (UC) fraud. House Republicans are anxiously awaiting the May 1st deadline for the publication of this report.
Notable Q&A
Chairman Grove asks the OSIG about their efforts to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse on government contracts, at the Department of Human services, and other efforts the office is undertaking.
Watch Full Hearing