North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood is pushing for reforms to be able to audit based off of eligibility, if not she is worried consequences will follow. | Facebook
North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood is pushing for reforms to be able to audit based off of eligibility, if not she is worried consequences will follow. | Facebook
North Carolina State Auditor Beth Wood is worried about new rules Gov. Roy Cooper implemented to make applying for Medicaid easier during the pandemic.
Woods told the Warren Record that the new rules could weaken the oversight of the system and increase fraud after Cooper waived some review of Medicaid eligibility. Cooper made changes to help increase the processing of applications, the Warren Record reported May 15.
“When I go in and audit, I’m going to look at what consequences are put in place for anybody caught scamming,” Wood told the Carolina Journal, the Warren Record reported. “There should be severe consequences to take advantage of a program with limited money that was meant for people who really, really need it. It’s not a money tree. It can’t give forever. Eventually, it will run out if people abuse it.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services experienced difficulties keeping up with oversight, but when the outbreak hit, it worsened the problem, Wood told the Carolina Journal.
When Cooper issued an executive order, it allowed the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to waive the regulation for applicants to meet immigration or U.S. citizenship requirements, but this means the agency will have to use unreliable data, the Warren Record reported.
“This opens the door for even more mistakes that can’t be verified,” Wood told the Carolina Journal, according to the Warren Record. “People that want to take advantage of this crisis and timing will do so and there’ll be more opportunity for people to scam the Medicaid system.”
But Woods is continuing to push for reforms to avoid any consequences, according to the Warren Record. She said she wants to be able to audit based on if applicants or eligible or not.
“If they believe there are no real consequences coming, it leaves the door wide open for those unscrupulous people who don’t have a conscience,” Wood told the Carolina Journal, according to the Warren Record.
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