State Rep. Josh Kail | Pennsylvania 15th Legislative District
State Rep. Josh Kail | Pennsylvania 15th Legislative District
On June 5, 2024, the House Republican Policy Committee, chaired by Josh Kail (R-Beaver/Washington), held the final hearing in a series aimed at safeguarding Pennsylvania’s social benefit programs from fraud, waste, and abuse. The objective was to ensure that state resources are efficiently allocated and accessible to those genuinely in need.
The hearing, titled “Excellence in Government: Preserving Benefit Integrity,” featured testimonies from Nick Adolphsen and Roy Lenardson, state government affairs directors at the Foundation for Government Accountability. They highlighted issues of fraud within Pennsylvania’s Medicaid, SNAP, and unemployment insurance programs and stressed the importance of holding government accountable to maintain program integrity.
According to Adolphsen and Lenardson, Pennsylvania faces welfare disparity that necessitates a cultural shift within agencies managing benefit programs. They noted that 43% of Pennsylvanians receiving Medicaid are able-bodied adults while 14,000 individuals truly in need remain on the Medicaid waiting list. This situation was described as “fraud by design” by the testifiers. They suggested that one effective method to combat welfare fraud is transitioning able-bodied individuals off these programs towards self-sufficiency.
“Let’s make Pennsylvania the state where we celebrate the first paycheck, not the first welfare check. Let’s be the state where we use taxpayer resources efficiently and hold government agencies accountable,” said Kail. “The government should work for the people in an efficient and effective manner, acting as a catalyst for success rather than a hurdle. That’s excellence in government, which I am committed to achieving.”
For those interested in viewing this hearing along with previous sessions held on May 29 and May 30, recordings are available at pagoppolicy.com/video/policy.
Representative Josh Kail
15th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Nancy Nilson
nnilson@pahousegop.com
repkail.com
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