Minnesota's Medicaid program could once again be in the spotlight on Capitol Hill on Thursday morning.

During a post-session interview at his office last Friday morning, Dayton discussed his views of the 2012 session; the GOP legislative majorities; and his own performance at the midway point of what he hopes will be his first term.

Minnesota offers a “stunning example” of failed oversight in its Medicaid program and could owe the federal government “hundreds of millions of dollars” for overpayments to managed care plans in past years, members of a congressional panel investigating Medicaid fraud said on Wednesday.

A pair of congressional subcommittees convened Wednesday morning's hearing on Capitol Hill to investigate state handling of Medicaid dollars. While Minnesota was not the specific focus, its handling of managed care contracts with HMOs and in particular the $30 million returned from UCare last year received intense scrutiny.

A joint hearing of two U.S. House subcommittees is set to hold a hearing on Medicaid fraud Wednesday morning in Washington, and Bachmann will be a testifier before panel.

On March 16 last year, Gov. Mark Dayton announced some seemingly excellent news: UCare had decided to make a $30 million “donation” to help solve the state’s $5 billion budget deficit.

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday to look at concerns about transparency and accountability in how federal Medicaid funds are spent. Minnesota Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson has agreed to testify about the state's practices in spending nearly $2 billion a year in federal funds to provide medical coverage for poor individuals.

This week Minnesota responded to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley's inquiries regarding a $30 million "donation" to the state by UCare. Read the correspondence here.

Minnesota's four primary health plans have agreed to return $73 million in excess profits to the state and federal government. The giveback is the result of an executive order issued by Gov. Mark Dayton that capped excess revenues at one percent for 2011.

Legislation requiring annual independent audits of the health care organizations that administer Minnesota’s Medicaid program has followed a tortuous path this legislative session.