State Department of Human Services failed to properly oversee a special health care program for the poor.
In another example of why New Jerseyans generally don't trust the government in Trenton with their money, a state auditor on Monday said the state Department of Human Services failed to properly oversee a special health care program for the poor, allowing ineligible residents to score subsidized health care.
People earning as much as $295,000 are enrolled in the NJ FamilyCare program which is designed for working poor families. The state auditor found vendors aren't performing eligibility checks and the state isn't checking applications for unreported income. The state also failed to try to collect $4.6 million owed to the program by 16,300 people who were disenrolled.
State Senator Barbara Buono, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate's Budget Committee, was furious with the findings in the audit and called for hearings.
"What really bothers me is that I have people calling my legislative office every single day who are trying to qualify for FamilyCare and maybe miss out by one hundred dollars. And then for the Division to essentially defend the procedures they have in place when they clearly aren't doing the job is just beyond belief," said Buono, in an interview with Millennium Radio.
The audit found at least three people with self-employment incomes of $295,000, $186,000 and $177,700 enrolled in the program.
A Department of Human Services spokeswoman told Millennium Radio the problems stem from the process in which people apply for the program. Residents are allowed to self-report income, and the spokeswoman said there are obstacles to checking if the reports are accurate.
The Associated Press also reported some of the other findings:
-- About 13,000 participants weren't sent renewal applications as of September, though regulations require eligibility be determined annually. The audit found $43.1 million was paid to these participants from July 2005 to September without knowing if they
remain eligible.
-- Some beneficiaries failed to report all income on FamilyCare applications, including income earned through self-employment, rentals, interest and dividends. Applicants authorize the program to match applications with their tax return, but the state isn't
checking all tax files.
-- Auditors found nearly 7,000 cases where the applicant reported $10,000 or more in self-employment income on their 2006 tax return, including those who failed to report self-employment incomes of $295,000, $186,000 and $177,700 on their NJ FamilyCare
applications.
People earning as much as $295,000 are enrolled in the NJ FamilyCare program which is designed for working poor families. The state auditor found vendors aren't performing eligibility checks and the state isn't checking applications for unreported income. The state also failed to try to collect $4.6 million owed to the program by 16,300 people who were disenrolled.
State Senator Barbara Buono, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate's Budget Committee, was furious with the findings in the audit and called for hearings.
"What really bothers me is that I have people calling my legislative office every single day who are trying to qualify for FamilyCare and maybe miss out by one hundred dollars. And then for the Division to essentially defend the procedures they have in place when they clearly aren't doing the job is just beyond belief," said Buono, in an interview with Millennium Radio.
The audit found at least three people with self-employment incomes of $295,000, $186,000 and $177,700 enrolled in the program.
A Department of Human Services spokeswoman told Millennium Radio the problems stem from the process in which people apply for the program. Residents are allowed to self-report income, and the spokeswoman said there are obstacles to checking if the reports are accurate.
The Associated Press also reported some of the other findings:
-- About 13,000 participants weren't sent renewal applications as of September, though regulations require eligibility be determined annually. The audit found $43.1 million was paid to these participants from July 2005 to September without knowing if they
remain eligible.
-- Some beneficiaries failed to report all income on FamilyCare applications, including income earned through self-employment, rentals, interest and dividends. Applicants authorize the program to match applications with their tax return, but the state isn't
checking all tax files.
-- Auditors found nearly 7,000 cases where the applicant reported $10,000 or more in self-employment income on their 2006 tax return, including those who failed to report self-employment incomes of $295,000, $186,000 and $177,700 on their NJ FamilyCare
applications.
