Governor Scott Walker Announces Wisconsin Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Fights Fraud, Saves Taxpayer Dollars
New report illustrates OIG successes in the first five years
Madison – Governor Scott Walker announced today that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is accomplishing its mission of fighting and eliminating fraud while saving Wisconsin taxpayers millions of dollars. Governor Walker created OIG in 2011.
“It is our job to be good stewards of our taxpayers’ dollar and ensure government services are free from abuse and misuse,” Governor Walker said. “The Office of the Inspector General focuses on detecting fraud in programs like Medicaid, FoodShare, and BadgerCare Plus, and the work OIG has done thus far, on behalf of the taxpayers of this state, is remarkable. Eliminating fraud helps guarantee these services are available for those who really need them.”
According to new report issued by the Department of Health Services (DHS), in the nearly five years since it was started, the OIG has:
- Increased identification of recipient fraud overpayments by 80 percent and identified $38 million in overpayments to Medicaid and FoodShare recipients;
- Identified nearly $50 million in Medicaid provider overpayments and recovered nearly $40 million in overpayments to Medicaid providers;
- Increased monitoring of Medicaid providers to ensure compliance of rules and regulations, and increased the number of audits to more than 2,000 a year; and
- Collected nearly $90 million through drug settlements.
“On behalf of the taxpayers, we would like to thank Alan S. White, the Department of Health Services’ first Inspector General, for developing, organizing, and leading the OIG,” Governor Walker added. “Alan recently retired from state service, but his accomplishments will continue to benefit Wisconsin taxpayers for years to come.”
“With Governor Walker’s support, the OIG has made great strides in protecting Wisconsin’s taxpayers by finding and eliminating fraud, waste, and abuse in Wisconsin’s public assistance programs,” said former DHS Inspector General Alan White. “The Legislature and the DHS leadership have also played key roles in helping the OIG achieve its mission.”
Much of the work the OIG has been able to accomplish has come through the help of everyday citizens. Shortly after its creation, the OIG began a toll free hotline and online portal, so the public can more easily report complaints of fraud, waste, and abuse. Since launch of the hotline and portal, the OIG has received more than 8,000 complaints online, and more than 5,000 phone calls.
The OIG is also proactive in preventing and detecting fraud and abuse by collaborating with county income maintenance agencies and local sheriff’s departments to investigate suspected fraudulent activity by recipients of the Wisconsin Medicaid, BadgerCare Plus, and FoodShare programs.
View the annual report issued by the OIG here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
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