White House memo directs HHS to eliminate ‘waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid’

The White House June 6 issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services “to take appropriate action to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, including by ensuring Medicaid payments rates are not higher than Medicare, to the extent permitted by applicable law.” In the memo, the administration expresses its view that rapid growth in state directed payment programs is a threat to the nation’s long-term stability, and that the “imbalance between Medicaid and Medicare payment rates under these programs jeopardizes access to care for seniors.”  

The memo is in addition to the ongoing congressional reconciliation deliberations, which also include provisions impacting SDPs.