Utah's Medicaid watchdog has 'poor governance' and 'lack of transparency,' audit finds

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A new audit criticizes Utah's Medicaid watchdog for poor governance and lack of transparency.

The Office of Inspector General has failed to implement 2018 audit recommendations, according to the new audit.

Interim Inspector General Neil Erickson accepts recommendations and plans organizational changes.

SALT LAKE CITY — A new report found multiple failures within the Utah office tasked with overseeing and identifying fraud in the state's Medicaid system and says leadership "has not made adequate effort to improve" since a similar audit in 2018.

Leadership of the Office of the Inspector General of Medicaid Services, or OIG, has "been delinquent in fulfilling its duties," the office has provided "insufficient oversight" of some care organizations and had "inconsistent" prac