No, I’m not predicting the outcome of the National Championship (although I do expect a similar result). I’m talking about recoveries under the respective state false medicaid claims act statutes. In 2017, the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit entered into 16 settlement agreements, recovering over $25 million in Georgia Medicaid funds. That’s more than twice as much as Nick Saban’s annual salary ($11.125 million)! 2016 was an even bigger year, returning over $122 million for just one settlement alone (a year in which Georgia was almost certainly the national champion for state false claims act recoveries).
Alabama, unfortunately, is one of just 14 states that does not have a state false claims act. Not only do these states lose out on a 10% increase in any federal FCA recovery, but in Alabama, state prosecutors can only bring criminal (and not civil) actions in cases of fraud or abuse of the state’s Medicaid Program. Even the former state attorney general recognized the benefits that an FCA would bring to a state needing to fund a substantial Medicaid program with a projected $85 million budget deficit. Unfortunately the latest iteration of an FCA bill died in committee, as others had before it.
There are no downsides to state False Claims Acts, unless you’re a corrupt healthcare provider.
Go Dawgs!