Don't Let Maximus Mismanage Medicaid After Failing on TANF!

Oppose the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's (FSSA) decision to award Maximus, Inc., a contract to handle Medicaid eligibility determinations. This move is deeply concerning, especially given Maximus's documented poor track record with other critical federal programs for FSSA. Why are the most vulnerable Hoosiers consistently blamed for "waste, fraud, and abuse" when large, multi-billion dollar corporations like Maximus are repeatedly shown to be mismanaging our federal programs? FSSA recently fired CICOA, a respected Indiana not-for-profit with deep roots in our community, from Medicaid screening. In their place, FSSA has chosen Maximus, Inc., a $5 billion transnational corporation. This decision is baffling and deeply troubling. Maximus has already demonstrated a clear inability to competently manage federal programs for FSSA. According to not one, but two independent audits by the Indiana State Board of Accounts (SBOA), Maximus has a documented history of failing to comply with federal statutes, regulations, contracts, and grant agreements while working for FSSA. Specifically, the SBOA's audit reports for July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, and July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 highlight serious deficiencies. Audit findings 2019-016 and 2020-016 explicitly detail how Maximus flubbed Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participant work verifications. They consistently submitted these verifications late, and in some cases, "back-filled" employment hours. Despite FSSA adding Maximus as a supposed "layer of control" to improve TANF reporting accuracy and oversight, the system continued to experience systemic and "uncorrected" problems in "accurately capturing and reporting employment hours." (See 2019-20 audit pp. 81-85, 138-40, 143, & 173; 2020-21 audit pp. 106-37). See https://audit.sboa.in.gov/WebReports/B59787.pdf https://audit.sboa.in.gov/WebReports/B61127.pdf This history shows a clear pattern of inaccurate reporting and a lack of accountability from Maximus. It points to a broader failure to address and correct long-standing issues, yet the burden of "waste, fraud, and abuse" is unfairly placed on the recipients of these vital services. If Maximus has already failed FSSA in administering TANF, there is no credible reason to believe they will perform any better when administering our crucial Medicaid program, which impacts the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers. I urge you to demand that FSSA reconsider this decision immediately. Our most vulnerable citizens deserve competent, accountable, and compassionate administration of their healthcare benefits, not a repeat of past failures.