$750 Million Obamacare Bucks Went to Illegal Immigrants

A new report showed that 11 out of 12 times federal investigators provided fraudulent documents, they were accepted by the federal health care exchange and provided subsides.

By Published on February 11, 2016

A new government report released this week shows $750 million in Obamacare subsidies went to illegal immigrants or individuals whose citizenship status was not properly verified.

The report released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, spearheaded by Sen. Ron Johnson,  found more than half a million people received the funds in the form of advanced premium tax credits, which the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have no viable plan to recover.

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Currently, the agency is using a “pay and chase” model where a portion of the premium is paid before the enrollee is verified, followed by the IRS chasing after the payment when the enrollee is deemed ineligible.

The committee’s findings state agencies did not coordinate on a plan to retrieve the funds.

“Even though the IRS ultimately assumed responsibility for the recoupment process, it still lacks an effective plan,” the report reads. “Instead, the IRS plans to rely on tax forms that do not solicit the information required to identify or recoup improperly awarded credits.”

According to Johnson, the plan the agency developed is “ineffective and insufficient.” While CMS officials said an individual’s failure to provide the necessary documentation does not necessarily mean they are not eligible for the credits.

“Lack of verification does not mean an individual is ineligible for financial assistance, but only that a Marketplace did not receive sufficient information to verify eligibility in the time period outlined in the law,” CMS spokesman Aaron Albright told Fox News.

The Senate committee’s findings fall in line with a Government Accountability Office report released in July. This report showed that 11 out of 12 times federal investigators provided fraudulent documents, they were accepted by the federal health care exchange and provided subsides.

 

Follow Juliegrace Brufke on Twitter.

 

Copyright 2016 The Daily Caller News Foundation

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