WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Rick Scott announced the reintroduction of his Leveraging Integrity and Verification of Eligibility for Beneficiaries (LIVE Beneficiaries) Act to require states to verify on a quarterly basis if a recipient of Medicaid benefits is alive in an effort to prevent payments to insurance companies for deceased enrollees. Congressman Gus Bilirakis is leading the bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives.  

Senator Rick Scott said, “Washington has spent too long failing Americans with its dysfunction, shown clearly by government’s complete complacency with wasting tens of millions of taxpayer dollars each year writing Medicaid checks to people who have died simply because they haven’t checked if they’re alive. That’s unacceptable and a complete disappointment to taxpayers and those who rely on this program’s benefits when they need it most. While President Trump and his team are hard at work making our government more efficient, Congress must take action too. Our bill, the LIVE Beneficiaries Act will require states to verify that a beneficiary is alive before they send a payment. This is common sense and a practical step to cut down on improper payments and ensure tax dollars are spent wisely.”

Congressman Gus Bilirakis said, “As we work to ensure the long-term solvency of critical safety net programs, like Medicaid and Medicare, we have an obligation to ensure we are serving as good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This means we must prevent fraud, waste, and abuse whenever possible. By implementing simple safeguards like the ones in this bill, we can strengthen these programs and help ensure they are meeting their intended purpose of providing access to quality care for our most vulnerable citizens.”

Read the full bill HERE.

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