Error Rates

Error rates in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid (SoonerCare in Oklahoma) refer to how often benefits are issued incorrectly under federal rules. Such issues typically arise because of administrative or documentation errors, not fraud. 

In SNAP, the error rate measures whether benefit amounts were calculated correctly, including both overpayments and underpayments. The most recent national SNAP payment error rate was 10.93 percent in fiscal year 2024, with Oklahoma reporting a very similar, but slightly lower, rate of 10.87 percent. When overpayments occur, households usually must repay the extra benefits, even if the mistake was made by the state agency.

In Medicaid, the error rate — officially called the Payment Error Rate Measure (PERM) rate — reflects whether payments met all eligibility, verification, and documentation requirements, even if the person receiving coverage was otherwise eligible. Nationally, the latest Medicaid improper payment rate was 6.12 percent, and about 77 percent of those improper payments were due to insufficient documentation rather than fraud or abuse. Oklahoma’s SoonerCare improper payment rate has been much lower than the national average — about 1.95 percent in the most recent state cycle — showing that the vast majority of payments in the state meet documentation and eligibility requirements

Error rates matter because they are used to judge how well states administer these programs and increasingly shape policy decisions. Efforts to reduce error rates often involve adding paperwork, verification steps, and more frequent eligibility checks. While these changes can reduce some administrative mistakes, they also raise the risk that eligible people lose benefits for procedural reasons — such as missing a notice, failing to submit a document on time, or being unable to navigate complex reporting systems.

Under the federal “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed in 2025 (H.R. 1), error rates take on new significance. The law ties states’ SNAP payment error rates to direct financial requirements for states, meaning states with error rates above 6 percent will have to cover 5 to 15 percent of SNAP benefit costs. At the same time, H.R. 1 and related policy changes move Medicaid toward more frequent renewals and additional reporting requirements. Together, these shifts increase pressure on states to tighten enrollment systems — making error rates not just a technical measure, but a driver of how accessible safety-net programs remain for eligible families.