JOHN KENNEDY coms lenges United States Senate 7 February 26, 2019 pects AND ‘The Honorable Seema Verma Administrator Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, DC 20201 Dear Administrator Verma: Tam requesting that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) investigate the alarming reports of tens of thousands of ineligible beneficiaries on Louisiana's Medicaid rolls. After pressure from Congress and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, Louisiana's Department of Health has taken steps to improve Medicaid eligibility determinations. The initial findings indicate that up to 37,000 recipients were ineligible to receive taxpayer funded benefits because they eam too much to remain in the program. Louisiana spends nearly half of its annual budget on Medicaid. Congress, CMS, and state health departments, as stewards of taxpayer dollars, should do everything possible to ensure that Medicaid dollars are only paid to eligible beneficiaries and to recoup tax dollars that have been improperly spent. ‘To assist in this effort, I respectfully request that CMS do the following: 1. Detail what can be done to recover improperly spent tax dollars from Medicaid recipients, and what steps, if any, CMS is taking to do so 2. Investigate whether or not the Louisiana Department of Health has violated federal Medicaid regulations. Furthermore, I am requesting a meeting to discuss the federal government's role in income verification. This problem is not confined to my state alone, but is rather a symptom of a systemic problem in Medicaid programs across the country. Please contact my office as soon as possible with your availability. ‘Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, John Kennedy United States Senator