The legislature's involvement was precipitated in 1996 by the reported amounts of improper payments in Texas' Medicaid program (estimated to range from $365 million to $730 million, or 4 to 8 percent of total expenditures) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Food Stamp programs (estimated at a total of $222.
The legislature investigated Medicaid expenditures as well as Medicare expenditures in 1996.