U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) introduced the Medicaid Abortion Funding Prohibition Accountability Act on Friday, which targets Medicaid providers who take advantage of system loopholes to seek reimbursement for the costs of abortions and other related services.
“Medicaid family planning funding assists states and health centers to provide critical health services for many women and men,” Duffy explained. “Yet all too often, abortion providers – such as Planned Parenthood – are able to line their pockets with taxpayer funds by using a complex billing system and taking advantage of programs that rely on provider integrity for compliance.”
In order to receive increased Medicaid reimbursements, some health care providers attempt to submit separate claims for procedures related to abortion. This process, referred to as “unbundling,” is against federal law.
After just a few federal- and state-level audits on current abortion-related claims, millions of dollars of improper reimbursements have already been discovered. This has brought the issue to the forefront and created concern among lawmakers.
“The American people overwhelmingly agree that taxpayer funding should not be used for abortions – and the law supports that belief,” Duffy continued. “We need an honest accounting to ensure taxpayer dollars are used appropriately and this bill aims to do that.”