October 3rd, 2019 by WCBC Radio
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced Thursday a toll-free tipline so West Virginians can report suspected Medicaid fraud.
Calls to the telephone number – 1-888-FRAUD-WV (1-888-372-8398) – go to the state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which then has specialists who review the information to see whether it is actionable. The unit targets Medicaid provider fraud, patient abuse or neglect and financial exploitation.
“The tipline is a quick, easy way for every state resident to help protect Medicaid,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “By working together, we can better provide for those who legitimately rely upon the Medicaid system as a safety net and thereby thwart those who game that system for criminal gain.”
The Attorney General’s Office assumed control of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The Attorney General believes the move will save taxpayers significant monies and yield greater efficiency and effectiveness to the benefit of the taxpayer.
The fraud unit investigates allegations of health care fraud committed against the Medicaid program for potential prosecution, along with allegations of the criminal abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of patients in Medicaid-funded facilities and residents in board and care facilities.
The unit is also responsible for investigating fraud in the administration of the Medicaid program. Its mission is to protect West Virginia’s vulnerable residents and the integrity of its health care programs.
Transfer of the Medicaid fraud unit was made possible earlier this year through passage of Senate Bill 318. Many of those who supported the move cited the Attorney General’s success in fighting Social Security disability fraud, a separate unit that has generated more than $18 million in savings since December 2015.
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