Walz Administration Redacts Majority of Autism Services Program Fraud Report

ST. PAUL – The State of Minnesota recently spent $2 million to analyze potentially fraudulent activity in autism services programs. Lawmakers were expecting an in-depth update on the findings, known as the Optum report, and instead were handed a document that had been 90% redacted by the Walz administration.

State Representative Marj Fogelman (R-Fulda) thought the move was outrageous.

“Taxpayers are rightfully demanding transparency and accountability for the fraud happening in our state,” Fogelman said. “Instead, we get a packet with blacked out photos and text. How are we supposed to get a handle on fraud if the Walz administration refuses to let us see the mistakes the agency has made?”

Of the findings that were not redacted, the Optum report found that 90% of claims billed for autism services may be fraudulent. The analysis also found the number of autism service providers jumped from 41 to 328 over a five-year span – an 800% increase. That number continued to rise in the last year, now estimated at 500.

The Optum report also noted that the amount billed per recipient increased 3000% over five years and detailed how some providers were billing the State of Minnesota for services despite not even having basic information like a phone number or a website.

With at least $9 billion lost already to fraud in Minnesota, Fogelman is disappointed with the lack of urgency being shown by the Walz administration.  

“Priority 1 this session has to be getting our fraud epidemic under control, and when the Walz administration refuses to tell lawmakers where the problems lie, we are only prolonging the problem,” Fogelman concluded.