Millions Paid To Out Of State Medicaid Patients

Rhode Island paid health insurers over 38 million dollars for out-of-state Medicaid recipients.

A new report from the Office of the Auditor General found ineligible Medicaid patients in nine other states and Puerto Rico were covered between 2019 and 2021.

State funding amounted to 16-point-five-million dollars, and went to "Managed Care Organizations," which administer Medicaid on behalf of Rhode Island.

Auditor General David Bergantino criticized ineffective internal controls.

A state Medicaid spokesperson admitted to issues with not identifying eligible patients and said the pandemic exacerbated the problem.

Bergantino recommended the state keep better track of recipients, and develop reporting to determine when they become ineligible.

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)