Florida Recovers $142 Million in Medicaid Claims

State health officials said they have recovered more than $142 million in erroneous and fraudulent Medicaid claims in the past year.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Liz Dudek announced the figures in Tallahassee on Tuesday.

The agencies are working together to fight Medicaid fraud. Florida’s Medicaid program is the fourth largest in the nation and serves about 3 million people.

The agencies also saved $22.1 million in unnecessary funds by reviewing the claims before paying them and terminating certain providers. The so-called “pay and chase” system has been a problem in Medicare fraud for years.

Bondi and state health officials said they are also working on projects such as increased site visits and denying reimbursement for ineligible claims to crack down on Medicaid fraud.

Find this article here:  http://www.theledger.com/article/20120124/NEWS/120129626/1003/news01?Title=State-Recovers-142-Million-in-Medicaid-Claims-