Gov. Tim Walz has ordered a third-party audit for 14 Medicaid-funded state programs deemed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services to be at a high risk for fraud.

The pause in payments will help the state detect “suspicious billing activity and scrutinize the use of public funds,” the governor’s office said Wednesday. The new layer of review means payments could be delayed up to 90 days.

Programs affected by the audit include housing stabilization services and autism services for youth — two programs where federal prosecutors recently announced fraud charges against providers claiming reimbursements from the state.

Minnesota has hired the healthcare company Optum to look for signs of possible fraud, including missing documents, unusually high billing, and other inconsistencies sho

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