DHS Defends Medicaid Revalidation Effort

(MNN)- Minnesota Department of Human Services leaders told lawmakers they faced an unusually short federal deadline to review thousands of high-risk Medicaid providers for potential fraud. Temporary Commissioner John Connolly says the agency had just five months to revalidate more than 5,000 providers, while most states receive up to two years. Connolly acknowledged that the process wasn’t perfect and that some legitimate providers temporarily lost payments, disrupting services for some Minnesotans. Senate Human Services Committee Chair John Hoffman says the priority now is ensuring the state’s Medicaid program is accountable, transparent and responsive to those who depend on it.