FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2009
CONTACT: LEIGH FIFELSKI
(517) 999-3646
Cox Wants Someone Else To Fight Fraud – A Job He’s Supposed To Do
Is Today’s Announcement By Cox An Admission of Failure?
LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox announced today a plan to create a separate new government office to fight Medicare and Medicaid fraud – a crime Cox is responsible for tackling since he was elected attorney general in 2002, a citizens watchdog group pointed out today.
Over the past 8 years, Cox’s office has seen funding increases of more than $14 million. Yet, today the attorney general said the Legislature should create a separate Office of Inspector General inside the governor’s executive branch to do the job taxpayers have been paying him to do as attorney general for the past eight years. Cox’s Health Care Fraud Division is one of 49 federally certified Medicaid Fraud Control Units.
“Mike Cox wants to create more layers of bureaucracy at a time when Michigan families are struggling and the state faces one of the worst budget crises in generations,” Progress Michigan Executive Director David Holtz said. “As attorney general, Mike Cox is the point man responsible for fighting fraud. If Medicaid abuse is so rampant, requiring Mike Cox to create a separate new office, then he must bear responsibility for failing to stop this problem in the two terms he has served as attorney general.
“By proposing we create a new bureaucracy Michigan families can’t afford, Mike Cox is essentially saying he either can’t do the job, he won’t do the job or he has failed to do the job,” Holtz said.
According to Cox’s official Web site, attorney general’s health care fraud division, “is comprised of attorneys, investigators, auditors, other professionals and support staff. Pursuant to Federal certification, it has jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and abuse and neglect in facilities receiving Medicaid dollars. The division also has jurisdiction to seek civil recovery of fraudulently obtained Medicaid dollars.”
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