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Executive Summary of the BSI FY19 Annual Report

An overview of the activities of the Bureau of Special Investigations in Fiscal Year 2019.
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Overview

The fiscal year 2019 (FY19) Annual Report of the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) summarizes BSI’s work and initiatives to execute the Office of the State Auditor’s mission to make government work better. This is done through BSI’s statutory charge to investigate fraud, abuse, and illegal acts involving public assistance benefits throughout the Commonwealth. During FY19, BSI continued to investigate and identify fraud in order to maintain program integrity and uphold the Commonwealth’s residents’ faith in public assistance programs. BSI’s efforts ensure that public assistance programs operate with transparency so that benefits are available to residents who truly need them.

In FY19, BSI opened 5,369 new investigations and completed 5,787 total investigations. This report includes a comprehensive breakdown of the fraud identified within each program BSI investigates. Of the 1,077 completed cases with identified fraud, the average amount of fraud was $11,106.15.

“In FY19, BSI identified $11,961,323.31 in fraud.”

Public assistance programs administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), and MassHealth provide vital social services for the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged residents—children, persons with disabilities, low-income individuals and families, and seniors. Statistical data on BSI cases from FY19 demonstrates that the cases BSI investigated most frequently involved allegations of undisclosed employment, a personal care attendant (PCA), or an unreported non-custodial parent in the home. By contrast, BSI investigated cases with allegations of undisclosed unemployment compensation or assets over the permissible limits the least. Looking at the cases BSI investigated during FY19 from a different perspective, the geographical statistical data shows that Suffolk, Hampden, and Bristol Counties generated the most allegations overall. Dukes, Franklin, and Hampshire Counties generated the least number of allegations.

Previewing the new capabilities of the DAU’s analytical support services, the following maps illustrate FY19’s total fraud allegations by county.

Figure 1. FY19 Total Fraud Allegations by County

A map of Massachusetts showing the total number of Fraud Allegations by County, Barnstable had 56, Berkshire had 46, Bristol had 254, Dukes had 3, Essex had 247, Franklin had 13, Hampden had 310, Hampshire had 27, Middlesex had 231, Norfolk had 82, Plymouth had 111, Suffolk had 358, and Worcester had 237.

Note: The total number of allegations is higher than the total completed case count because there are often multiple allegations per BSI case number. The grand total as reflected does not filter out duplicate BSI case numbers; the count only includes the unique number of allegations.

Fiscal Year 2019 Itemized Fraud Allegations by County

Figure 2. Employment Fraud Allegations

A map of Massachusetts showing the total number of Fraud Allegations by County, Barnstable had 56, Berkshire had 46, Bristol had 254, Dukes had 3, Essex had 247, Franklin had 13, Hampden had 310, Hampshire had 27, Middlesex had 231, Norfolk had 82, Plymouth had 111, Suffolk had 358, and Worcester had 237.

Figure 3. Personal Care Attendant Fraud Allegations

A map of Massachusetts showing the number of Personal Care Attendant Fraud Allegations by County, Barnstable had 6, Berkshire had 18, Bristol had 25, Essex had 31, Franklin had 3, Hampden had 38, Hampshire had 7, Middlesex had 45, Norfolk had 17, Plymouth had 17, Suffolk had 49, and Worcester had 36.

Figure 4. Non-Custodial Parent Fraud Allegations

A map of Massachusetts showing the number of Non-Custodial Parent Attendant Fraud Allegations by County, Barnstable had 6, Berkshire had 3, Bristol had 26, Essex had 24, Hampden had 34, Hampshire had 3, Middlesex had 23, Norfolk had 11, Plymouth had 14, Suffolk had 20, and Worcester had 27.

Figure 5. Subject Living Above Means Fraud Allegations

A map of Massachusetts showing the number of Subject Living Above Means Fraud Allegations by County, Barnstable had 6, Berkshire had 2, Bristol had 18, Essex had 21, Hampden had 25, Hampshire had 2, Middlesex had 18, Norfolk had 13, Plymouth had 14, Suffolk had 18, and Worcester had 31.
Date published: January 22, 2020

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