United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1995-08-31 monographic deposited born digital 38 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-95-116 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116 P0b002ee18038e681 f:he95116 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116 HEHS-95-116 Supplemental security income program Disability benefits Social security benefits Fraud Program abuses Beneficiaries Immigrants Internal controls Data collection operations Data bases Food Stamp Program AFDC Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program California Washington Medicare Program Letter Report HEHS Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed fraudulent claims for disability benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, focusing on: (1) the extent of fraudulent applications submitted by non-English speaking immigrants using middlemen; (2) factors that contribute to SSI vulnerability to such fraudulent applications; and (3) government initiatives to combat such fraudulent activities.<p/>GAO found that: (1) although the Social Security Administration (SSA) has been aware of allegations of SSI fraud related to the use of middlemen since 1990, the number of applicants who have obtained SSI benefits illegally through the use of middlemen is unknown; (2) the number of immigrants receiving SSI disability benefits rose from 45,000 in 1983 to 267,000 in 1993; (3) in California, about 6,000 potentially fraudulent applications have been identified, of which about 30 percent represent SSI claims currently being paid; (4) ineligible SSI recipients can receive about $113,000 in SSI, Medicaid, and Food Stamp benefits by the time they are 65 years old; and (5) SSA has established a task force in California to combat fraudulent applications involving middlemen and has terminated benefits for 207 recipients, as of April 1995. In addition, GAO found that SSI is vulnerable to fraudulent applications involving middlemen because SSA: (1) management practices and bilingual staff shortages enable applicants to use middlemen; (2) has only limited monitoring of middlemen; (3) has limited funds for investigations; (4) has not coordinated its efforts to monitor middlemen with state Medicaid agencies; and (5) needs a better strategy to keep ineligible applicants from ever being accepted on SSI rolls. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116.pdf GAO/HEHS-95-116 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-116 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-95-116; Supplemental Security Income: Disability Program Vulnerable to Applicant Fraud When Middlemen Are Used; Supplemental security income program Disability benefits Social security benefits Fraud Program abuses Beneficiaries Immigrants Internal controls Data collection operations Data bases Food Stamp Program AFDC Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program California Washington Medicare Program Public Law 103-296