U.S. Representatives Castor and Soto Request Federal Review of Florida Medicaid Settlement Spending
U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor and Darren Soto have formally requested the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to investigate whether Florida violated Medicaid rules. This request stems from a $67 million settlement with Centene, where $10 million was allegedly diverted. According to the lawmakers, this sum was initially sent to the Hope Florida Foundation and subsequently misappropriated for political activities. A Florida grand jury report indicated that $8.5 million of these funds ultimately went to political committees. However, the grand jury did not identify any individuals for criminal charges due to a lack of clear responsibility. Castor and Soto are seeking clarification from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) on whether these transactions complied with federal law and if similar Medicaid settlements in Florida warrant review. They assert that merely returning the federal share of the settlement does not resolve the un... 
