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.
In 1996, it was reported that 4-8% of expenditures were improper payouts. 