BATON ROUGE, LA – Attorney General Jeff Landry has joined 37
other states in an effort to expand the authority given to Medicaid Fraud
Control Units (MFCU) around the country.
Attorneys General from around the country sent a letter to U.S. Health and
Human Services Secretary Tom Price requesting that certain federal regulations
that limit states’ ability to detect, investigate, and prosecute the abuse and
neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries be lifted.
As the current regulations stand, MFCU’s are restricted in their ability to
protect Medicaid beneficiaries from abuse and neglect. Louisiana and the other
states are requesting authority to use federally-funded MFCU assets to the full
extent the federal statute allows by replacing or eliminating current, outdated
regulations.
“In an effort to keep fighting fraud and abuse, I joined with my fellow
attorneys general in requesting this expansion of our authority,” said Attorney
General Landry. “I will continue doing all I legally can to combat Medicaid
fraud in Louisiana and make our State an even better place to live, work, and
raise our families.”
The Social Security Act currently allows the use of MFCU's to investigate and
prosecute patient abuse/neglect in “health care facilities” or “board and care
facilities.” However, the statute does not prohibit the use of federal MFCU
funds to investigate abuse/neglect in non-institutional settings, such as abuse
or neglect of a beneficiary alleged to have occurred in a home health care or
other non-institutional setting – only the regulations impose that prohibition.
In the letter, General Landry and the other attorneys general requested federal
regulations be broadened to allow the use of federal MFCU funds to investigate
and prosecute suspected abuse in whatever setting necessary, including
non-institutional settings. They also asked the regulations be broadened to
allow the use of federal MFCU funds to freely screen or review any and all
complaints, which may help identify cases of abuse or neglect of any Medicaid
beneficiary.
“My office remains steadfast in our commitment to end Medicaid fraud in our
State, and we will use every resource and authority we have to do so,” said
Attorney General Landry. “I hope Secretary Price will broaden our authority and
add these new tools in our arsenal against fraud, waste, and abuse in
Louisiana.”
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A copy of the letter is available in the More Resources Box to the right side of this page.