MN Launches Website To Fight Misinformation About Medicaid Fraud Claims

ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Department of Human Services on Wednesday launched a website that officials say will "correct misleading information and outright false claims" about Medicaid fraud in the state.

The website launch came about a month after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told Minnesota officials that it intends to withhold $515 million every three months from 14 Medicaid programs that were deemed “high risk” after rejecting a corrective action plan it demanded because of fraud allegations. The amount is equivalent to one-fourth of the federal money for those programs.

State officials have appealed the federal government's decision.

In a statement released Wednesday, Minnesota's temporary Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi said that while the state is continuing to tighten oversight of Medicaid programs, officials wanted to ensure the public had a place to go for facts about the defunding of social services programs.

The new fact check page is part of the state’s Medicaid program integrity website, which houses additional resources and information about Minnesota’s fight against fraud.

According to Gandhi, the first round of fact checks posted on the website addresses what she called exaggerated Medicaid fraud figures, alleged findings of fraud made in social media videos, and the federal government’s decision to withhold Medicaid funding from Minnesota.

"Speculation, intentional misinformation and amateur investigations will not stop fraud in our state,” Gandhi said. “It takes hard evidence to put criminals behind bars."

According to state officials, Medicaid provides health care for 1.2 million low-income Minnesotans, including children, people with disabilities and older adults.

New federal data released this month showed Minnesota’s Medicaid program is operating with a significantly lower rate of improper payments than most states.

• RELATED: Minnesota Medicaid Error Rate Far Below U.S. Average, Federal Review Finds

A review by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found Minnesota’s Medicaid error rate was slightly above 2.1 percent, compared with a national average of 6.1 percent. The review examined billing statements and compared them with medical records to determine whether payments were made correctly.

State officials say the data was compiled before the Minnesota Department of Human Services began rolling out a series of new anti-fraud measures in late 2024.