NCJ Number
149798
Date Published
1993
Length
26 pages
Annotation
The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Massachusetts Attorney General's Criminal Bureau is a federally funded law enforcement unit that has investigated and prosecuted numerous complaints of abuse, neglect, and mistreatment in Massachusetts nursing homes receiving Medicaid funding.
Abstract
The number of referrals for potential criminal investigation has declined from 303 in fiscal year 1989 to 142 in fiscal year 1993. Since March 1993, a prosecution team of three investigators and a single prosecutor review, rank, and present complaints for prosecution to various district courts in Massachusetts. In addition, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has reached out to nursing home professionals to aid them in assessing alleged instances of abuse and neglect and will form an interdisciplinary advisory group that will focus on standards of conduct. During fiscal year 1993, the 146 preliminary investigations led to 27 formal criminal investigations, indictments or complaints against 17 individuals, findings that three individuals were guilty on 15 counts, and eight cases of defendant admissions and continuances without a finding by the court. Between July and October 1993, 137 preliminary investigations have led to 15 criminal investigations and indictments or complaints against 10 individuals. Case summaries, figures, tables, and text of proposed legislation