A plan to target fraud in California's state-funded in-home care would cost almost $42 million for seven years. The proposal comes at a time when the program for the disabled may be facing further massive cuts.
A planning document from the California Health and Human Services Agency shows the state would pay Hewlett Packard's HP Enterprise Services $6 million a year for technological support until 2017. The support is connected to the state's new anti-fraud rules requiring fingerprints of 430,000 disabled people and their caregivers in the In-Home Supportive Services program.
Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro says the $42 million anti-fraud plan is unnecessary.
"In the absence of any clear evidence that recipients of home care are committing fraud, even any example of how a disabled or elderly person would be able to commit fraud, it's a complete waste of taxpayer money," said Chesbro.
California Department of Social Services Spokeswoman Lizelda Lopez says the cost of the plan is not set in stone. She said the technological support is needed to help the department implement the new anti-fraud rules.
