Politics
Politics

Senate passes Medicaid fraud bill

By
March 14, 2011

The Senate on Monday passed a bill aimed at curbing fraud in the state's Medicaid program.

Senate Bill 63 calls for a pilot program to test whether the use of secure photo ID cards would prevent "card swapping" by consumers and "phantom billing" by providers trying to cheat the health care program for the poor.

The bill was amended after some senators questioned whether it was written to favor specific vendors. Some senators also questioned whether the plan would save more money than it would cost to implement.

The state already has a program dedicated to finding Medicaid fraud and prosecuting those who abuse the system.

About the Author

Carrie Teegardin is a reporter and part of the investigative team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She is a graduate of Duke University and has won numerous national journalism awards.

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