By Eric Stock
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Bruce Rauner said a task force that’s looking to eliminate health care fraud and abuse has looked for ways to save Illinois $220 million and is just getting started.
“That’s a lot of money we could to out to help our most vulnerable, our autistic, our developmentally disabled, our veterans, homeless,” Rauner said. “Too many of your low income schools are underfunded. We could put this money to very good use.”
Rauner said the panel has found about $50 million in Medicaid abuse and estimates there could be up to $1 billion in abuse in the health care program for low-income families.
“We have already found extraordinary savings. I’m very excited,” Rauner declared.
The group was established in April. It has removed 6,000 dependents from the State Employee Group Insurance Program that it claims are no longer eligible.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
