Report  Bureau of Special Investigations Annual Report Fiscal Year 2024

As part of the Office of the State Auditor, the Bureau of Special Investigations (BSI) is charged with investigating allegations of public assistance fraud throughout the Commonwealth. The diligent work of BSI examiners ensures that taxpayer dollars, which fund Massachusetts’s public benefits programs, are used effectively so that those critical benefits are available to residents who truly need them.

Under Section 17 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, BSI’s investigative authority extends to any assistance program administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), the Department of Children and Families (DCF),¹ and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS)² (which administers MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program). Although BSI’s enabling statute does not grant it direct authority to the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), we work with EEC through a memorandum of understanding. Public assistance fraud cases substantiated by BSI’s investigations are referred to agencies for administrative action, fraudulent overpayments are recovered through civil agreements, individuals are disqualified from programs for specified periods, and particularly egregious cases are prosecuted in state district or superior courts and the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts. BSI recommends cases for prosecution based on the severity of fraud, the intent of the perpetrator, and the case’s potential to serve as a deterrent to future fraud.

BSI examiners operate from five offices across the Commonwealth. BSI consists of three separate investigative units: the Central Processing Unit (CPU), the Fraud Investigations Unit (formerly MassHealth/DTA/EEC Unit), and the Data Analytics Unit (DAU). An assistant director, who reports directly to the director of BSI, heads each unit. While each unit has its own specific concentration, all BSI units collaborate with one another, as investigations often involve allegations of fraud in more than one benefit program. BSI participates in joint investigations and task forces that focus on combating fraudulent activities with other state and federal agencies across the Commonwealth.

This report, as statutorily required, summarizes BSI’s work in fiscal year 2024 (July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024).   

1.     DCF does not currently administer public assistance funding and therefore does not fall within the scope of BSI’s investigative work.

2.     Referred to as MassHealth.