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GAO: Medicaid Demonstrations: Approval Criteria and Documentation Need to Show How Spending Furthers Medicaid Objectives

May 1, 2015

Pursuit's Take

HHS approved expenditure authorities for a broad range of purposes beyond Medicaid coverage. Two types of noncoverage-related expenditure authorities were significant in terms of approved spending amounts. In 5 states, HHS approved expenditure authorities allowing the states to spend $9.5 billion in Medicaid funding during their current demonstration approval periods (about 2 to 5 years) to support about 150 state programs that would not otherwise have been eligible for federal Medicaid funding.

Although section 1115 of the Social Security Act provides HHS with broad authority to approve expenditure authorities that, in the Secretary’s judgment, are likely to promote Medicaid objectives, HHS has not issued specific criteria for making these determinations. Further, HHS’s approval documents are not always clear as to what, precisely, approved expenditures are for and how they will promote Medicaid objectives.

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