Maine’s Democratic state auditor, Matt Dunlap, is seeking a position in Congress. Earlier this year, he issued a report highlighting serious deficiencies in the oversight of the state’s MaineCare program. The report pointed to a lack of utilization control, indicating issues with how the Program Integrity Unit (PIU) manages surveillance of Medicaid services.
The PIU could not demonstrate the methodology behind project identification or post-payment reviews for Medicaid services. This report emerged after healthcare fraud cases came to light through federal investigations and a local whistleblower, casting doubt on the effectiveness of past systems detecting fraud in Maine. This occurs amidst one of the nation’s most competitive congressional races.
In an interview, Dunlap’s campaign emphasized the limited scope of the report regarding the highlighted weakness and noted Dunlap’s recognition for identifying other vulnerabilities. Despite the detected weaknesses, the report acknowledged that this issue had not been identified in previous audits.
When questioned about the oversight, Dunlap’s campaign pointed out his efforts that received praise, even from Republicans. Campaign spokesperson Harry Burke stated that Dunlap had consistently identified problems dating back to the administration of former Governor Paul LePage. Burke accused LePage of neglecting to implement auditors’ recommendations during his tenure.
Decision-making to address issues within Maine’s programs rests with individual departments, although auditors can provide recommendations. As per Burke, Dunlap’s role as an auditor is to identify issues so state agencies can take corrective actions.
Republicans have criticized Dunlap for not preventing fraud schemes that have gained national attention. Vice President JD Vance remarked on these fraud cases during a visit to Maine, questioning Dunlap’s credentials and suitability for the role.
Dunlap’s tenure has faced scrutiny, partly due to initial challenges in becoming a certified auditor. He entered the auditor role in 2021 but had to resign after failing certification exams twice. However, he successfully passed the necessary tests and returned to his position in 2022.
Fraud concerns escalated after the U.S. Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General found the state had disbursed at least $45.6 million in wrongful Medicaid payments for autism services. Whistleblower Christopher Bernardini accused Gateway Community Services of submitting falsified billing records for unprovided services.
These fraud narratives have drawn attention from national figures like Vice President JD Vance. At a campaign gathering, Vance criticized the decision to hire an auditor who initially failed qualification exams and argued that Dunlap’s performance should disqualify him from moving to Congress.
Past audits before Dunlap’s role as auditor also suggested a weakened pursuit of fraud cases under his leadership. Reports from 2016 mentioned an office burdened by an excessive load of fraud cases compared to available resources.
Since Dunlap’s return as auditor, the previous concerns about excessive case loads have not resurfaced. Following his primary win, Dunlap is set to challenge former Governor Paul LePage, the Republican nominee, in the general election on November 3.
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