Fraud (AR)- Rutledge Announces Record-Breaking Medicaid Year – SWARK Today

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[MM Curator Summary]: AR AG recovers $43M in one year, over 33 convictions. That’s $1.3M per perp.

LITTLE ROCK— Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced a record-breaking year for the office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). In federal fiscal year 2022, the Unit secured 33 convictions and 51 arrests. The MFCU set an additional record when it obtained a sum of more than $42.5 million in civil settlements, restitution and fines in FY 2022.

“I have zero tolerance for abusers and thieves,” said Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. “Individuals who seek to take advantage of a system designed to help society’s most vulnerable should face the full weight of the law.”

The MFCU investigates and prosecutes Medicaid fraud and the abuse, neglect and exploitation of individuals living in residential care facilities as well as Medicaid recipients. With the 33 convictions secured in FY 2022, the Rutledge Administration has achieved 185 convictions since 2015.

The MFCU’s record sum of more than $42.5 million is comprised of civil false claims settlements of $41 million, court ordered restitution in the amount of $338,662 and collected $622,279 in fines. The MFCU also obtained $159,000 in civil penalties from 8 abuse and neglect settlements. An additional $250,000 in settlements was secured from joint investigations alongside the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units and the U.S. Department of Justice.

This brings the total collected in settlements, restitution and fines during the Rutledge Administration to nearly $78.5 million. This fiscal year has yielded 1,327% return on investment for the state—or $13.27 of benefit to the state for every dollar spent—setting another record for highest return on investment in a fiscal year.

Attorney General Rutledge credits the record setting year to the hard work of the unit and its collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and increased public awareness efforts through public service announcements and social media campaigns. The announcement comes as the federal fiscal year draws to a close.

The Arkansas Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $3,270,540 for Federal FY 2022. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $1,090,175 for FY 2022, is funded by Arkansas State General Revenue and Attorney General Consumer Education and Enforcement fund.

Medicaid fraud occurs when Medicaid providers use the program to obtain money to which they are not entitled. To report Medicaid fraud, abuse or neglect in nursing homes or Social Security disability fraud, call the Attorney General’s Medicaid fraud hotline at (866) 810-0016 or submit a complaint online.

About Attorney General Leslie Rutledge

Leslie Carol Rutledge is the 56th Attorney General of Arkansas. Elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn in on January 13, 2015, she is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected as Attorney General. She was resoundingly re-elected on November 6, 2018. Since taking office, she has significantly increased the number of arrests and convictions against online predators who exploit children and con artists who steal taxpayer money through Social Security Disability and Medicaid fraud. Further, she has held Rutledge Roundtable meetings and Mobile Office hours in every county of the State each year, and launched a Military and Veterans Initiative. She has led efforts to roll back government regulations that hurt job creators, fight the opioid epidemic, teach internet safety, combat domestic violence and make the office the top law firm for Arkansans. Rutledge serves on committees for Consumer Protection, Criminal Law and Veterans Affairs for the National Association of Attorneys General. She also served as the former Chairwoman of the Republican Attorneys General Association.

A native of Batesville, she is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Rutledge clerked for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was Deputy Counsel for former Governor Mike Huckabee, served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and was an Attorney at the Department of Human Services before serving as Counsel at the Republican National Committee. Rutledge and her husband, Boyce, have one daughter. The family has a home in Pulaski County and a farm in Crittenden County.