Gov Creates Health Waste Task Force

Governor Bruce Rauner has created a task force to root out waste, fraud and abuse in taxpayer-funded health care programs. The Republican signed an executive order to implement that group, which will also seek ways to prevent waste in state and federally funded Medicaid and employee health insurance programs. Rauner says the cost of state-run health care programs increases when no one watches to stop abuse and fraud. The state spends more than $19 billion a year on Medicaid and the state employee group health insurance plan. The executive inspector general, Maggie Hickey, will head the task force. It will have 11 members, including a deputy governor, chief compliance officer, and representatives of executive departments on aging, health care and family services, state police, insurance and other agencies.