St. Paul, MN – Today, the House Human Services Committee discussed two DFL bills that will combat fraud and consumer abuse. HF 2216, authored by Rep. Kelly Moller (DFL - Shoreview) creates several important protections for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities to give power back to vulnerable Minnesotans. The second bill, HF 2354, authored by Rep. Matt Norris (DFL - Blaine) increases resources for the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, gives the office additional tools to hold fraudsters accountable, and increases penalties for those who steal money meant for health care for low-income Minnesotans.
“The gravity of the issues facing Minnesotans in long-term care facilities was first impressed on me when a constituent came to me seeking help for the mistreatment experienced by her mother and aunt. As I dug into this more, I learned that they were not alone in the difficulty they experienced. This legislation is designed to help residents and their families so they can focus on the care they need, not financial stress,” said Rep. Moller. “Every Minnesotan deserves to live with dignity and respect, no matter their level of wealth. This legislation takes one large step forward to guarantee that for our most vulnerable loved ones.”
HF 2216 implements several consumer friendly protections and reforms. It gives independence to residents by removing the requirement that they have or obtain a guardian or conservator to be admitted to or maintain residence at the facility. It creates guardrails, managed by the Commissioner of Health, for when an assisted living facility can raise prices if there is a change of ownership or if they want to raise prices higher than the Consumer Price Index. Lastly, it would make it so residents’ contracts can’t be canceled or not renewed if they switch from using private funds to public funds.
"One duty of government is to safeguard public funds so they don't fall into the hands of scammers and fraudsters, particularly when those funds are meant to provide health care for low-income folks. However, this duty cannot exist in a vacuum. Our agencies responsible for enforcement need the right resources and legal authority to hold bad actors accountable. That's why I'm happy to author HF 2354," said Rep. Matt Norris. "With this legislation, the Attorney General and his vigilant staff will be empowered to minimize fraud in Minnesota. This is something we can all get behind."
HF 2354 will improve the Attorney General’s Office’s ability to investigate and prosecute fraudsters by:
Adding 9 new staff members to the Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) to account for recent increases to the state Medicaid budget. The bill will increase the MFCU’s staff from 32 to 41 people.
Increasing criminal penalties for people who commit Medical Assistance fraud.
Giving the Attorney General’s Office the authority to subpoena financial records during criminal Medical Assistance fraud investigations.
Video of the committee hearing can be found on the House Information’s Youtube channel.
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