Oklahoma AG joins request for federal policy change on Medicaid fraud prosecutions

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter has joined with counterparts from 36 other states in requesting a federal policy change that would expand their ability to investigate and prosecute Medicaid fraud, neglect and abuse cases that occur in non-institutional settings.

Federal funds that many state attorneys general use to operate Medicaid Fraud Control Units currently come with a policy restriction that limits their use to investigating and prosecuting Medicaid fraud, abuse and neglect cases that occur in institutional settings.

The attorneys general wrote a letter to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday asking that the restriction be lifted.

“In the last two years, the Attorney General’s Office has successfully filed over 30 charges against providers in Medicaid-funded nursing homes or state facilities,” Hunter said. “If investigators have the authority to expand their scope, they could potentially bring down more corruption and protect more senior citizens.”

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/oklahoma-ag-joins-request-for-federal-policy-change-on-medicaid/article_037836b1-d982-5e35-b691-e82352193374.html