OIG nets $17 billion in savings against fraud

The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General saved the federal government nearly $17 billion against fraud, abuse and waste, including Medicaid fraud, for the first half of fiscal year 2005, an OIG report released this week said.

Savings and expected recoveries from investigations and audit reports included $15.6 billion. Also, OIG reported $1.1 billion in investigative receivables and $266 million in audit recoveries.

The OIG continues to review intergovernmental transfers of funds used by some states to maximize federal Medicaid reimbursement. Fiscal 2004 was a productive year for the Medicaid Fraud Control Units, which are in 48 states and the District of Columbia, the report said. In 2004, the MFCUs recovered more than $572 million -- doubling the amount recovered in 2003 -- and obtained 1,160 convictions.

A copy of the semiannual report is available at http://www.oig.hhs.gov/publications/docs/semiannual/2005/OIG_semiannual1-2005.pdf.