ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline)-New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that his office's Medicaid fraud unit had nearly doubled the funds it recovered last year from the year previous.

The Democratic attorney general said his office's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in 2007 collected $112.5 million, up from $59.4 million in 2006.

The data was submitted to the federal government as part of an annual report.

Of the money collected, $41.5 million stemmed from cases involving home healthcare, while more than $35 million came from settlements with more than 30 managed care organizations that submitted duplicate claim payments.

An additional $7.8 million came from New York state's role on behalf of states in negotiating settlements with pharmaceutical companies Purdue Pharma, L.P. and Medicis Pharmaceutical Corporation for misbranding and illegally marketing OxyContin and Loprox.

"My office's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is dedicated to recovering taxpayer dollars," Cuomo said in a statement. "These are funds that are misspent or lost to fraud."

The annual report submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services outlining the state's Medicaid fraud collections says the attorney general's office has, among other measures, increased the staff of the Medicaid Fraud Unit by 11 percent
and the number of its civil attorneys by 71 percent.

"We have made significant strides in the ongoing battle against Medicaid Fraud since I took office," Cuomo said.

"Whether it is prosecuting home health aides who file false paperwork or taking swift action against those who do harm to or neglect our loved ones in nursing homes, my office will continue to use all tools necessary to serve as the national model in reducing Medicaid fraud," he added.

From Legal Newsline: Reach reporter Chris Rizo by e-mail at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.