TOPEKA — Kansas legislators heard about the dangers of “welfare fraud” from an out-of-state lobbyist who has previously asked lawmakers to limit federal benefits.
Sam Adolphsen, policy director at the Foundation for Government Accountability, said the state’s programs for food assistance and Medicaid needed to be examined for fraud during a Tuesday joint meeting for lawmakers on the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development and House Welfare Reform committees.
Adolphsen has advocated for restrictions on social safety net programs in previous legislative sessions on behalf of the Florida-based organization Opportunity Solutions Project, which is the lobbying arm of FGA.
The organization is a conservative think tank working to influence laws at the local and federal level and has made multiple appearances in Kansas legislative hearings on a variety of topics.
OSP lobbyists in September pressured Kansas legislators to investigate Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly after accusing her of making “backroom deals” to increase voter registration. Kansas Reflector debunked the claim by securing copies of the “secret” agreement from three sources while legislators took a lunch break.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Aldolphsen promoted the false narrative that welfare programs are prone to fraud, even though there is no evidence of widespread fraud associated with Medicaid or other government assistance programs in Kansas.
“There’s a lot of money in these programs,” Adolphsen said. “And that makes it a magnet for people who want to steal from taxpayers and the truly needy and exploit the program.”
To qualify for the state-run Medicaid program, a person must be either under 19 or over 64, pregnant, or mentally or physically disabled. Parents and legal guardians of children, as well as people who have someone disabled in their family, also are eligible. Besides these requirements, the individual must be below a certain income level. An adult with a dependent child has to earn less than 38% of the federal poverty level, around $7,500 per year, to qualify.
Adolphsen claimed nearly one-third of Medicaid funds in Kansas are spent on “waste or fraud” and that Medicaid eligibility needed to be closely monitored. He mentioned the pandemic-era continuous eligibility for Medicaid as one example of dishonesty, calling it “state-sanctioned fraud.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal “continuous coverage” provisions meant Medicaid administrators couldn’t end health care eligibility unless the person in question moved away, died or asked to end coverage. Participation in KanCare, the Medicaid program in Kansas, increased from 410,000 to 540,000 people during the pandemic. When federal protection ended, more than 53,000 Kansans, including 25,000 children, were removed from the program, mostly for procedural reasons.
“When you’re not on welfare, there’s no fraud happening there,” Adolphsen said. “That’s the best way to prevent fraud in the first place.”
He tied the issue to the funding of the long-stagnant disability wait lists, which have thousands waiting for services, and called these people the “truly needy,” as opposed to “able-bodied adults” who he claimed are taking advantage of welfare programs.
Rep. Stephanie Clayton, D-Overland Park, pushed back on Adolphsen’s characterization. Clayton said those on the waitlist are people, rather than a “political football” to be kicked around.
“I think that you would be better served if you were advocating for helping them as opposed to against helping folks with food stamps,” Clayton said. “It’s a better strategy. Please do not pit vulnerable Kansans against people.”
Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, apologized to Adolphsen.
