The Medical Assistance Protection Act would give the attorney general more authority to investigate fraud and increase the penalties for those found guilty.
Attorney General Keith Ellison says when fraudsters steal from medical assistance they steal from all Minnesotan’s
" Holding fraudsters accountable is a key priority in Minnesota, rightfully so," says Ellison, "scammers taking resources from the vulnerable makes it harder for people to afford their lives and we are all in for shutting them down."
He added that over the past 5 years the office’s Medicaid fraud control unit has recovered $53 million in restitution from fraud cases and that these changes would help them further their work.
"Right now, even though the MFCU is housed in our office, only our county attorneys have the power to subpoena things like bank records that we could use as evidence of fraud," Says Ellison, "This change would put another key tool in our hands."
If passed, the bill would also bring penalties for Medicaid fraud up to the standards of Minnesota’s theft statutes.