Wyoming Reports Financial Abuse Of Vulnerable Adults Increases Medicaid Costs

The Wyoming Department of Family Services’ (DFS) Adult Protection Services (APS) program estimates that from 2011 through 2013, financial abuse of vulnerable adults increased Medicaid costs. This is because after the financial loss, the victims met Medicaid eligibility requirements. During the three-year period, APS substantiated 32 cases of financial exploitation. The victims lost approximately $1.3 million. The potential cost to Medicaid was about $1 million.

These findings were reported in “The Wyoming Cost of Financial Exploitation 2011, 2012 and 2013” by Dorothy Thomas, an adult protection policy analyst with DFS. The analysis is the second conducted by  DFS . . .