Two Mississippi residents with houses worth more than $1 million have been receiving coverage under the Medicaid program that is designed to help low-income residents, according to a report released Monday by the state auditor’s office.
Auditor Shad White said those are examples of waste that could be curbed, and money that could be saved, if Mississippi legislators allow the Division of Medicaid to communicate directly with the state Department of Revenue to verify information that people provide when applying for Medicaid coverage.
Under current state law, the Division of Medicaid must rely on people to report their own income and to supply documents such as tax returns. The law does not allow the Division to request information from the state Department of Revenue.
White said such verification could save the state money by revealing possible false reporting by recipients.