Issue Position: Cracking Down on Fraud and Promoting Transparency

Issue Position

In 2009, Senator Schmitt filed Senate Bill 549 to create the MO HealthNet (Medicaid) Data Transparency Program and successfully amended House Bill 577 to include the landmark legislation.

When HB 577 was signed into law, Missouri became the first state in the nation to require the posting of all Medicaid payments made to providers online, with recipients' information protected and redacted. Senator Schmitt believes consumers have a right to know the cost and quality of their care, which is why he created this first-of-its-kind web portal allowing all Missourians to see what providers charge for their services with just a click of a mouse.

Posting this data online will also help Missouri crack down on fraud and abuse. Nationwide, outright fraud accounts for as much as 10% of all healthcare spending. That is nearly $200 billion every year. In 2005, the Kansas City Star estimated that fraudulent Medicaid claims could total up to $575 million a year in Missouri--which is $575 million Missouri tax dollars going into the pockets of criminals. This is why Sen. Schmitt fought hard to make Missouri a leader in cracking down on Medicaid fraud with the MO HealthNet Data Transparency Program.

Plus, the information collected can be used to guide public policy. For example, every woman over the age of 40 should have a yearly mammogram. With the database, policymakers may discover that only 40% of women over 40 are receiving mammograms, thus triggering policy changes that encourage outreach awareness.

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