LINCOLN, Neb. —A state audit released Tuesday alleges that the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services paid millions of dollars in improper billings.
State Auditor Mike Foley investigated the spending records of the department’s child care subsidy program.
Over nine months from late 2023 to early 2024, the program paid out $93 million to child care providers.
The discrepancies and potential fraud add up to $12.8 million of those costs.
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SEE ALSO: Nebraska auditor finds up to $1.5 million in ‘flagrant abuses’ in DHHS program
Foley said taxpayers are being billed for services that were never provided.
For example, the audit says child care centers billed for 210 children on Thanksgiving Day in 2023, when they weren’t open.
“When you claim that you cared for a child, and the child is in school on a federal holiday, and the taxpayers is going to have to pay for this, that’s not fair for the taxpayers,” he said.
Foley said the heart of the problem is that day care providers can submit their billing electronically, and the system issues a payment with little to no human oversight.
“It’s just very easy for the provider to get payment for the services. They know that there’s not a lot of oversight, not a lot of watchdogging, this kind of stuff,” Foley said, “They get away with it a little bit sometimes, and then they say, ‘That was pretty easy; let’s try a bit more.’ And the problem gets larger and larger.”
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Foley is encouraging DHHS to review these payments before they process them.
DHHS said it agrees with the audit and will make improvements.
Tags: Audit, auditor, Child care, child care centers, Children, costs, department of health and human services, DHHS, discrepencies, Fraud, improper payments, Mike Foley, millions, Nebraska, nebraska department of health and human services, payments, state audit, taxpayers
The Nebraska Department of Revenue, Property Assessment Division (DOR), reminds property owners that the Nebraska Homestead Exemption Application, Form 458, and all required forms and documentation must be filed with their county assessor on or before June 30, 2026.
The homestead exemption provides relief from property taxes by exempting all or a portion of the taxable value of the residence.
The State of Nebraska reimburses counties and other governmental subdivisions for the property taxes lost due to homestead exemptions.
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In Nebraska, a homestead exemption is available to the following categories of property owners:
Persons age 65 or older before January 1, 2026;
Qualified disabled individuals; or
Qualified disabled veterans and their surviving spouses.
Some categories are subject to household income and residence valuation limitations. The income limitations are on a sliding scale based on filing status and homestead exemption category.
Homestead exemption forms and information are available at revenue.nebraska.gov/PAD/homestead-exemption. For more information on the homestead exemption program, please contact your county assessor or DOR at 888-475-5101.
ALLIANCE, Neb. (WOWT) – Carhenge, a replica of the world-famous Stonehenge made of old cars, opened in the Nebraska Panhandle in 1987.
According to Visit Nebraska, it was constructed in Alliance by the Jim Reinders family in memory of his father during a family reunion.
Carhenge also includes sculptures made of old cars and car parts.
It is open year-round and free to visit.
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