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State Medicaid Fraud Control Units Annual Report FY 2008

By Bob Coffield

The DHHS Office of Inspector General has issued the Fiscal Year 2008 State Medicaid Fraud Control Units Annual Report. The report covers FY 2008 (October 1, 2007 - September 30, 2008.

The summary of the report provides background on the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) grant program, the number of states participating, the amounts recovered and number of convictions obtained in FY 2008:

During this reporting period, 49 States and the District of Columbia participated in the Medicaid fraud control grant program through their established MFCUs. The mission of the MFCUs is to investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse and neglect. MFCUs? authority to investigate and prosecute cases varies from State to State.

Forty-three of the MFCUs are located within Offices of State Attorneys General. The remaining seven MFCUs are located in various other State agencies.

In FY 2008, MFCUs recovered more than $1.3 billion in court-ordered restitution, fines, civil settlements, and penalties. They also obtained 1,314 convictions. MFCUs reported a total of 971 instances in which civil settlements and/or judgments were achieved. Of the 3,129 OIG exclusions from participation in the Medicare, Medicaid, and other Federal health care programs in FY 2008, 755 exclusions were based on referrals made to OIG by the MFCUs.

The report also contains examples of Medicaid fraud and patient abuse and neglect case investigations and prosecutions undertaken during FY 2008.

Read the full report for more information on the role that state MFCUs play in the oversight of the Medicaid program.

Full post as published by Health Care Law Blog on August 10, 2009 (boomark / email).