Two former attorneys who oversaw Iowa’s Medicaid fraud enforcement say Gov. Kim Reynolds’ newly created Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force is unnecessary and a misuse of resources

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) — Two former attorneys who oversaw Iowa’s Medicaid fraud enforcement say Gov. Kim Reynolds’ newly created Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force is unnecessary and a misuse of resources.

Kevin Techau and Dean Lerner both previously led Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), a separate state-funded team of attorneys and investigators that already handles health care fraud cases. They say the state should invest in that existing unit rather than create a new one.

“They’re leaving millions of dollars on the table because they aren’t using their full capacity to investigate fraud. They’re not using the modern analytics. They’re not using the number of investigators that they can use. So that’s why we call this a sham,” Techau said.

Iowa funds its MFCU significantly less than other states. According to the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units and state data, Iowa spent $1.3 million on its 10-person team in 2025 with funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Techau compared that to Arkansas, which spends $3.9 million on a 23-person unit.

“Other states have caught onto this and they’re using that authorization; they’re not using analytics, they’re not using the full staffing. They just want to jump up and down and make it sound like there’s somebody in their basement getting Medicaid fraud. They’re not authorized to. And that’s not where the fraud is,” Techau said.

Attorney General Brenna Bird, who chairs the Medicaid Fraud Elimination Task Force, said earlier this month the team would look into better ways to partner with state and federal officials. Bird said the MFCU is actively pursuing Medicaid fraud cases and that the task force itself will not handle those cases.

Data from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services show 164 active fraud investigations. The task force will continue to meet until October, when it will submit its findings to the governor.

Reynolds created the task force following a recent federal crackdown on Medicaid fraud by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Isabella Warren covers state government and politics for Gray Media-owned stations in Iowa. Email her at isabella.warren@kcrg.com; and follow her on Facebook at Isabella Warren TV on X/Twitter@isabellaw_gray, and on Instagram@IsabellaWarrenTV.