BOSTON (Legal Newsline) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Jan. 11 that during 2016 her office recovered more than $80 million for the state’s Medicaid program.
This figure represented the second highest amount recovered for the program in a single year to date and showcases Healey’s commitment to fighting fraud in public assistance programs.
Healey’s Medicaid Fraud Division is responsible for fighting fraud perpetrated by health care providers against the state’s MassHealth Medicaid program. The division recuperated close to $20 dollars for every $1 dollar it was given in the state’s 2016 fiscal budget.
“Medicaid is 40 percent of the state’s budget and it must be protected,” Healey said. “Each year our office recovers millions of dollars for MassHealth to ensure that taxpayer funds are used properly to benefit our residents.”
Cases involving the Medicaid Fraud Division included a $795,000 settlement with CVS Pharmacy Inc. related to opioid, a $700,000 settlement with REM Transportation Services for billing for unnecessary wheelchair rides and a $650,000 settlement with a Boston dentist that improperly billed for dental work.
The $80 million total is the result of 29 civil settlements.