Gingrich Urges Medicaid Reform 30 Years After Welfare Overhaul
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Gingrich Urges Medicaid Reform 30 Years After Welfare Overhaul
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 29
Summary
Thirty years after the 1996 welfare law, Newt Gingrich argued Medicaid needs a similar redesign because its federal-state funding structure rewards spending growth more than accountability.
A 50-state CMS integrity initiative under Administrator Mehmet Oz has intensified scrutiny, but Gingrich said provider probes alone cannot fix incentives that make waste, fraud and abuse easier.
Applied Behavior Analysis services, federally required in Medicaid since 2014, were cited as one example where fast-rising spending, billable-hour payments and uneven oversight have enabled improper billing and other abuses.
Georgia's tighter oversight of ABA has met resistance from legislators and provider groups, which Gingrich said shows how political pressure can weaken anti-fraud efforts even when access concerns are legitimate.
The broader argument is that Medicaid should mirror welfare reform by giving states more responsibility for results so integrity becomes the easiest path rather than the hardest.
Could the aggressive new crackdown on Medicaid fraud accidentally cut off critical therapy for the vulnerable children it aims to protect?
As billions vanish into healthcare loopholes, will advanced analytics and nationwide moratoriums finally outsmart the system's most elusive medical scammers?
If hourly billing fuels medical fraud, is it time to completely dismantle how taxpayer-funded healthcare pays for intensive treatments?