Audit of Indiana’s Medicaid attendant care program flags widespread violations INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A sweeping audit by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration found nearly $200 million in improper payments tied to home- and community-based attendant care services. Secretar y Mitch Roob of Family and Social Services said, “It’s a direct threat to safety, and it represents a complete breakdown of the most basic protections we owe the people we serve.” Auditors reviewed 625 claims across five high-risk providers between January 2022 and March 2025. They identified the providers as Guardian Care, Healing Hands Personal Services, Help at Home, Tendercare Home Health, and Team Select Home Care. They employ people throughout the state to provide their services. Robb said, “Two providers failed only 98% of the time. The remaining three failed every single claim: 100% error rate. The majority of these claims lines failed for two, three and even four reasons.” Auditors say nearly every claim they reviewed had multiple issues including lack of documentation, billing for noncovered services, and misaligned services. Roob said the worst was a lack of criminal background checks. “Required criminal background checks were missing, incomplete, outdated, or completed only after the services were being delivered. That means that unscreened individuals were being sent directly into the homes of older adults and people with disabilities.” State leaders said the spike in spending is what raised red flags. Program costs increased by more than $150 million from 2021 to 2022, without a clear increase in patient need. Republican Gov. Mike Braun issued a statement warning providers. “This conduct undermined the trust of the taxpayers who fund this program and the Hoosiers who rely on it. Providers who don’t follow the rules should understand clearly: Indiana will protect its people and its dollars with absolute resolve.” The Family and Social Services Administration is expanding oversight, which will include prepayment reviews for repeat offenders, more audits, and stronger electronic visit verification checks to crack down on fraud. Roob said, “We’ve already paid these claims and now we’re going to go back and attempt to recoup them.” The Family and Social Services secretary also said providers will have the right to appeal audit findings as the process moves forward. The Family and Social Services Administration is doing more audits targeting high-risk providers across the state. ...read more read less