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A10047Assembly2009-2010 SessionSame asS4774

Authorizes any prosecutor of competent jurisdiction to receive referrals from certain agencies

Sponsor Harvey WeisenbergAD-20Affects Health
Status
In Assembly Committee
Health
Impact
Pending
Passage
Pending

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Health

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Who cares

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Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Harvey Weisenberg

Assembly Member · Assembly District 20

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Held for consideration in health
  2. Referred to health

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

S4774Senate

Authorizes any prosecutor of competent jurisdiction to receive referrals from certain agencies

In Senate Committee · Health · Sponsor Charles J. Fuschillo Jr.

Full text

The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.

Sponsor's memo

BILL NUMBER:A10047

Title of bill

An act to amend the public health law, in relation to authorizing any prosecutor of competent jurisdiction to receive refer- rals from certain agencies

Purpose

To amend the Public Health Law, in relation to authorizing any prosecutor of competent jurisdiction to receive referrals from certain agencies

Summary of provisions

Section I. Amends Subdivision 7 of section 32 of the public health law to allow far Office of Medicaid Inspector General to refer suspected fraud or criminality to any prosecutor of competent jurisdiction.

Section 2. Is the effective date

Justification

Approximately two years ago the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG) entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Nassau County Department of Social Service (DSS) which allowed DSS to investigate Medicaid provider fraud and keep the county share of any recovery in exchange for working under the supervision and control of the OMIG. The Demonstration Project, as it is known, requires DSS to seek the OMIG's approval before starting a Medicaid provider investi- gation, requires OMIG's approval of the investigation plan, and requires DSS to turn the entire investigation over to OMIG if any fraud is found. Once the investigation is turned over, OMIG will review DSS's efforts, conduct any further investigation that it deems necessary and, if the OMIG is satisfied conduct exists, turn over the file to the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU). The MFCU that covers Nassau County is based in Hauppauge.

This Demonstration Project working in conjunction OMIG's statute, has created a bureaucratic chain whereby Nassau DES is supervised by an entity in Albany, sends its completed investigations to Albany, and then the case travels to MFCU in Hauppauge. Meanwhile the Prosecutors in the Nassau County District Attorney's office, sitting a mere three miles away from the investigators at DES, are prohibited from offering their assistance. It is inexplicable that the county district attorney is barred from prosecuting crimes that take place with in the county and were investigated by a county agency.

This legislation would easily fix the problem referenced above by amend- ing the OMIG's statute to allow the agency to make referrals to both the Attorney General and "any prosecutor of competent jurisdiction."

Legislative history

New Bill

Fiscal implications

Due to an increase in efficiency in prosecuting Medicaid Fraud there is an estimated increase in revenue to the state

Effective date

Immediately

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.