LEWISTON — Second Congressional District Republican candidate Paul LePage urged federal officials Tuesday to require photos on food benefit cards as one way to crack down on fraud.
LePage, a former two-term governor, implemented the change in Maine in 2015 and said it dramatically reduced the number of cards that were found during drug raids.
“Maine taxpayers deserve to know where the money is going,” LePage said. “I find welfare fraud to be offensive. Mostly because the system can do much better.”
The comments came during a roundtable discussion with House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who talked about Medicaid fraud in his state.
“I love my state, I’m embarrassed by the fraud, I’m embarrassed by the lack of leadership,” Emmer said.
Emmer’s visit to Maine is the latest by high-profile Republicans highlighting Medicaid fraud. Vice President JD Vance and the head of Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, have both visited in recent months.
MaineCare, the state’s version of Medicaid, has been expanded over the last eight years to cover more than 400,000 Mainers. That’s one in three Maine people and more than half of all children, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
In recent months, DHHS has announced investigations into some providers suspected of fraud.
In December, DHHS referred a Portland service provider to the attorney general’s office after finding reason to suspect fraud. Several weeks later, a federal audit questioned $46 million in expenditures to those who provide autism services.
Then in August, DHHS posted a notice that in June of this year it imposed five provider payment suspensions based on credible allegations of fraud. It also refused to renew six licenses, assessed fines on 12 agencies and referred one agency to law enforcement.
“DHHS is committed to sharing as much information as possible so the public can understand how seriously it takes fraud prevention and oversight,” the department wrote.
Tuesday’s roundtable included Republican state lawmakers, including Rep. Laurel Libby of Auburn, who now runs a conservative advocacy group called Lead Maine.
Her organization is petitioning DHHS to implement two new rules to better track fraud.
One rule would require on-site inspections of providers receiving state funds through MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program. The other request is to immediately suspend payments to providers suspected of billing for money that they are not entitled to receive.
Sen. Matt Harrington (R-Sanford) said he and other legislators have been pushing for months for action against those suspected of fraud.
“It’s critical that the federal government step in,” he said. “People need to be held accountable. We can’t just stop payments.”