U.S. lawmakers yesterday called for heightened scrutiny of Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program as the bankrupt territory seeks increased federal health care funding while it deals with repercussions from a government corruption scandal, Reuters reported. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce agreed to several accountability measures linked to a $12 billion funding boost over four years for the low-income health care program in Puerto Rico. A group of Republican U.S. senators, meanwhile, sought information on whether any safeguards are in place to deter misuse of the island’s federal Medicaid dollars. Last week, Angela Avila-Marrero, former executive director of Puerto Rico’s Health Insurance Administration, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and other charges related to her role in an alleged scheme to steal federal Medicaid dollars through a corrupt bidding process with private contractors. The charges were part of a 32-count indictment brought by U.S. law enforcement officials against six people in a government corruption probe. The House committee adopted an amendment proposed by U.S. Representative Greg Walden (R-Ore.) that added provisions for federal audits and probes of contracts related to Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program, as well as a quarterly reporting requirement on how much of the money was spent.
