Audit reveals flaws in how Minnesota DHS handled some autism fraud kickback claims
By Josh Skluzacek
Published on March 17, 2026.
A report by the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) has revealed flaws in how the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) handled claims of kickbacks in autism services. The review, which focused on allegations of fraud tied to the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) program, examined whether the agency’s inspector general acted reasonably when looking into EIDBI criminal allegations and why some complaints were closed without further investigation. The audit found that DHS has long had legal authority to address claims about kickbacks and blamed a 30-year-old error in the agency's rules for potentially limiting its ability to suspend payments while investigating kickbacks.
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