Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey proudly announced that the U.S. Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has awarded the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with the Inspector General’s Award for Excellence in Fighting Fraud, Waste and Abuse. The Unit’s remarkable performance in 2023, with a staff of 19 individuals, resulted in 52 indictments, 23 convictions, and the recovery of over $10 million in restitution orders and settlements.
Expressing his pride in the Unit’s accomplishments, Attorney General Bailey stated, “I am extremely proud of the critical work our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit puts in every day to hold wrongdoers accountable. Missourians should rest assured that our office is working around the clock to obtain justice for victims and to protect the integrity of their taxpayer dollars. I am proud of the success the Unit has had for Missouri, and I am excited to see what they will achieve moving forward.”
The Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit was not only recognized by the OIG but also hailed as a model organization within the wider Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Medicaid program integrity community. One of the notable investigations conducted by the Unit involved a Missouri-based residential treatment facility for foster care children, leading to a civil settlement of more than $1.8 million and an agreement by the provider to implement a compliance and ethics program.
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, which investigates fraud by Medicaid providers and prosecutes allegations of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation in Medicaid funded facilities, is comprised of prosecutors, investigators, and support staff. Funding for the Unit comes primarily from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with a grant award totaling $2,950,428 for Federal fiscal year 2023, supplemented by $986,135 funded by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.
