Welfare Fraud Report Shows Cause for Concern, Need for Reform

On March 2, 2012, Lexis Nexis gave a presentation to officials at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services reviewing results of a recent test sample they ran through their data system to identify potential instances of fraud among food stamp recipients and medicaid beneficiaries.

The report can be viewed here (PDF of a scanned photocopy)

Among the findings were such startling statistics as

  • 2.7% of food stamp recipients (654 individuals) may have an out of state drivers license.
  • 2.09% of Medicaid recipients (1802 individuals) may have an out of state drivers license.
  • As many as 56 Medicaid recipients are listed as deceased. Some have been dead for decades.
  • Some Medicaid recipients drive late model BMW’s and Cadillac Escalades.
  • Some food stamp recipients have $400+k in assets with best addresses in other DC or FL.
  • Thousands of records have data discrepancies indicating potential identity fraud