The OIG has statewide jurisdiction to audit, review, or investigate any matter involving Kansas cash, food, and health assistance programs, including but not limited to KanCare, MediKan, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), Child Care Subsidy Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Food Assistance, which is known federally as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The OIG may refer matters involving provider fraud to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for further investigation and potential prosecution.
Conduct audits, investigations, and performance reviews to increase accountability, integrity, and oversight of Kansas cash, food, and health assistance programs; assist in improving agency and program operations; and in deterring and identifying fraud, waste, abuse, and illegal acts.
In 2007, Senate Bill 11 created the Office of Inspector General within the Kansas Health Policy Authority (KHPA).
In 2011, Executive Reorganization Order No. 38 abolished the KHPA and transferred all powers, duties, and functions of the KHPA to the Division of Health Care Finance within the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The OIG was transferred to KDHE as part of that Executive Reorganization Order.
In January 2014, the last Senate confirmed inspector general (IG) under KDHE left their position and the last OIG staff member left in November 2014. This began a period of the OIG being vacant until October 2018.
In 2017, Senate Bill 149 transferred the OIG from KDHE to the attorney general’s office effective June 1, 2017. On October 9, 2018, the Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee voted to authorize Sarah Fertig, the attorney general’s first nominee for the IG position, to exercise the powers of the office pending confirmation by the full Senate. Fertig was confirmed by the full Senate in January 2019.
Between January and June 2019, the OIG had one staff member, the IG. The OIG hired an auditor in June 2019 and a data analyst in February 2020.
The OIG began the process of recruiting a new IG in July 2020 due to the resignation of the former IG. In the interim, former Attorney General Derek Schmidt appointed Jay Scott Emler (former Deputy Attorney General/Chief Information Security Officer) to serve as the administrator for OIG.
Following Fertig’s resignation from the position in July 2020, former Attorney General Derek Schmidt nominated Steven Anderson to be the next IG on January 21, 2021. On April 6, 2021, Anderson was confirmed as the new IG by the full Senate. IG Anderson continues to serve as the IG.
Two auditors were hired, and began working for the OIG on June 13, 2022. They were a critical addition to the OIG’s ability to fulfill part of its core missions of auditing and performance reviews. Starting in July 2023, two full-time special agents and a financial analyst were hired by the OIG to conduct criminal, civil, and administrative investigations of Medicaid fraud.
During the 2025 legislative session, K.S.A. 75-7427 was amended by the passage of House Bill 2217 to expand the OIG’s authority to increase accountability, integrity, and oversight of all Kansas cash and food assistance programs, in addition to medical assistance programs, through audits, reviews, and investigations.
Separate from House Bill 2217, the 2025 Kansas Legislature approved a budget enhancement of three fulltime positions for the OIG. As a result of the budget enhancement, an auditor, an analyst, and a special agent were hired and began working for the OIG on July 7, 2025.