Deloitte has made over $6 billion running error-prone eligibility systems that make it harder for Americans to get the healthcare and food aid they rely on. We investigated the big business of welfare.
Video by Dan Lieberman and Paul Blest
TRANSCRIPT
DAN LIEBERMAN, MORE PERFECT UNION: We’ve heard a lot about waste and fraud in programs like Medicaid and SNAP. But what if I told you that the biggest waste of taxpayer money isn’t due to people like this:
NORMA HUFFMAN, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS RESIDENT: Him and I fight on who’s going to eat that day. Him and I fight on how my medicine is gonna get paid for.
LIEBERMAN: It’s this.
ATLANTA NEWS FIRST CLIP: Georgia’s Medicaid program has spent more on administrative costs than on healthcare.
AUDIO CLIP OF MARK BEGOR, EQUIFAX CEO: Four billion-plus of market opportunity for us are just massive.
LIEBERMAN: And behind the political rhetoric…
CNN CLIP OF MIKE JOHNSON, HOUSE SPEAKER: We’re talking about finding efficiencies in every program.
LIEBERMAN: …there is a lot of money being made.
SARAH GRUSIN, SENIOR ATTORNEY AT THE NATIONAL HEALTH LAW PROGRAM: We’re easily talking billions of dollars.
LUKE FARRELL, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR FOR TECHNOLOGY AND DELIVERY, WHITE HOUSE DOMESTIC POLICY COUNCIL: The more complicated it is to make a change, the more profitable it is.
LIEBERMAN: So we looked into the companies hired to run the systems standing between Americans getting the help they need…
HUFFMAN: They’re wanting so many pieces of proof that I have no money.
LIEBERMAN: …or falling through the cracks.
OLIVIA CLEAVELAND, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS RESIDENT: I’ve been struggling with this for years. You’ll get it, it’ll get cut off, you’ll have to redo the process all over again.
LIEBERMAN: Because in this system, working families are set up to fail, while corporations reap the benefits.
STATE SEN. BRYAN KING (R-AR): It makes bank robbers look like at least honest crooks in this deal.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): We need a system with accountability.
HUFFMAN: Who’s running this system? That’s the problem.
INSIDE THE BUSINESS OF WELFARE
