{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/dr-miller-meeks-introduces-legislation-strengthen-medicaid-accountability-and", "Dr. Miller-Meeks Introduces Legislation to Strengthen Medicaid Accountability and Protect Taxpayer Dollars", "2026-06-26", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "IA", "Mariannette Miller-Meeks", "M001215", "millermeeks.house.gov", "millermeeks", "https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (IA-01), joined Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19), and Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) in introducing the Medicaid RAC Improvement Act of 2026, legislation to strengthen Medicaid oversight, improve accountability, and better protect taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse.\n\nMedicaid provides critical health care coverage to millions of Americans, including children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families. However, longstanding oversight deficiencies identified by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) have left significant gaps in payment integrity efforts, weakening accountability and making it more difficult to identify improper payments.\n\n\u201cAs a physician, I\u2019ve seen firsthand how important Medicaid is for our most vulnerable patients. But every dollar lost to waste, fraud, and abuse is a dollar that isn\u2019t reaching the people the program was designed to serve,\u201d said Miller-Meeks. \u201cWashington has allowed billions of taxpayer dollars to slip through the cracks because oversight hasn\u2019t kept pace with the program\u2019s growth. This commonsense legislation strengthens accountability, protects taxpayers, and helps preserve Medicaid for the Americans who truly depend on it.\u201d\n\nMedicaid Recovery Audit Contractors (RACs) are responsible for identifying and recovering improper Medicaid payments on behalf of states and taxpayers. Yet the GAO has repeatedly found significant weaknesses in the implementation and oversight of Medicaid RAC programs nationwide. Reporting requirements vary widely among states, transparency is often lacking, and broad exemptions from federal standards have resulted in inconsistent oversight and diminished effectiveness.\n\nAt the same time, a growing share of Medicaid expenditures now flows through managed care organizations, while existing payment integrity tools have not kept pace with this transformation. These shortcomings create significant blind spots, making it more difficult for federal and state officials to detect, prevent, and recover improper payments.\n\nThe Medicaid RAC Improvement Act of 2026 addresses these challenges by:\n\n\u2022 Implementing key recommendations from the Government Accountability Office;\n\n\u2022 Strengthening reporting requirements for Medicaid RAC programs;\n\n\u2022 Increasing transparency and accountability across states;\n\n\u2022 Expanding oversight of managed care payments; and\n\n\u2022 Modernizing payment integrity efforts to better identify and recover improper payments while ensuring consistent oversight throughout the Medicaid program.\n\n\u201cMedicaid serves as a vital lifeline for millions of Americans, and we have a responsibility to ensure every dollar dedicated to the program is used appropriately and reaches those it is intended to help,\u201d said Congressman Bilirakis. \u201cUnfortunately, gaps in oversight and inconsistent enforcement have left taxpayers vulnerable and weakened our ability to identify improper payments. The Medicaid RAC Improvement Act strengthens transparency, accountability, and oversight so we can better safeguard taxpayer resources while preserving the integrity of this essential program.\u201d\n\nThe Medicaid RAC Improvement Act of 2026 builds upon recommendations from the Government Accountability Office and reflects Congress\u2019s ongoing commitment to improving program integrity while preserving access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://millermeeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/dr-miller-meeks-introduces-legislation-strengthen-medicaid-accountability-and"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4656009152531624, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}