Hawaiʻi has faced criticism for its handling of Medicaid fraud, notably lacking any convictions over the past four years despite open investigations. Attorney General Anne Lopez defended the state’s efforts by citing $14 million in settlements, predominantly from a single case involving Liberty Dialysis, dating back over a decade. However, the U.S. Health and Human Services Inspector General, T. March Bell, has decertified Hawaiʻi’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), citing its ineffectiveness and the low recovery rates compared to Medicaid expenditures. This decertification threatens nearly $3 million in annual funding, prompting state officials to reconsider their approach and seek a more robust strategy to combat Medicaid fraud.
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Link to original article source: https://apnews.com/article/hawaii-medicaid-fraud-settlements-federal-concerns-f1355a346d23fb0c575c43d894a39821
