News Local/State

New State Task Force To Search For Health Care Fraud

by Amanda Vinicky, with Additional Reporting from the Associated Press
 
Gov. Bruce Rauner was on the University of Illinois Springfield campus to sign an executive order forming a health care fraud investigation task force.

Gov. Bruce Rauner was on the University of Illinois Springfield campus to sign an executive order forming a health care fraud investigation task force. Brian Mackey/WUIS

Gov. Bruce Rauner has created a task force charged with finding fraud in taxpayer-funded health care programs.  The Republican Tuesday used his executive authority to form the group. It'll seek ways to prevent waste in state and federally funded Medicaid, the state employee's health insurance and even costs of caring for inmates in Illinois prisons.

Rauner says the cost of state-run health care programs increases when no one watches to stop abuse and fraud.

"We believe that there is significant cost-saving potential where we can not only keep health care service quality high and maybe improve health care service quality, but drive better value and save significant amount of taxpayer money over time."

However the governor was unable to put a number on what he calls "fraud" and "unnecessary spending."

Rauner says Illinois spends more than $19 billion a year on Medicaid and insurance for government workers.

The task force will have 11 members, including a deputy governor, chief compliance officer, and representatives of state agencies including the departments on aging, insurance and the state police.