Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D) is beginning a review of the state’s oversight procedures for prescription drug benefits through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
State Auditor Nicole Galloway
“As we continue to navigate the state’s current budget crisis, we must remain vigilant to ensure tax dollars are managed wisely, and that means having safeguards in place to prevent abuse of the programs Missourians depend on,” says Galloway. “My team will review the oversight procedures that exist to prevent and detect improper activities that waste taxpayer dollars and foster distrust of government.”
Galloway says an estimated $10 billion is expected to be spent on Medicaid in Missouri in 2017. Of that, prescription drugs account for nearly half a billion dollars per year in state and federal dollars after rebates are received from drug manufacturers.
This audit is in addition to the annual review of state compliance with federal guidelines regarding expenditures in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs. Galloway says it will include a more extensive examination of prescription drug spending and oversight.
Individuals with information can contact the State Auditor’s Whistleblower Hotline by calling 800-347-8597, by emailing [email protected], or by using the new online submission form at auditor.mo.gov/hotline. Callers can choose to remain anonymous.