State auditor's office alleges Nebraska DHHS was double or triple billed by child care providers
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is under scrutiny again.
This time it is over allegations that the state overpaid child care providers by millions of dollars, according to a report from Nebraska State Auditor Mike Foley.
READ MORE: Nebraska auditor finds 'further examples' of DHHS mishandling federal funds
The report said DHHS may have been scammed out of more than $12.8 million in aid between July 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024.
Click here to read the full report.
DHHS subsidizes some child care on a sliding scale for low-income families or those with children with special needs. The providers of their child care need to keep a log of up to 60 hours a week.
The new audit suggests DHHS was double or triple-billed in some cases, charged on holidays when centers were closed, or even charged for a child several times, at different providers.
In a statement, the department said they have reviewed and agree with the auditor's findings. DHHS said its fraud unit is working to recover full or partial grants paid to providers.
Earlier this year, the auditor's office found more examples of the department mishandling money, including apparent fraud in a state Medicaid program.
Foley and Steve Corsi, the new CEO of DHHS, said they will continue to work together to reform the department and to fix issues.
“I appreciate Auditor Foley’s tireless efforts to safeguard taxpayer dollars. Since being appointed CEO of DHHS just under 10 months ago, our main focus has been to evaluate the department and begin putting in place effective safeguards to ensure taxpayer dollars are allocated properly,” Corsi said in a statement. “These efforts will be continued aggressively. We look forward to the ongoing collaboration with the State Auditor’s office.”