Whistleblowers, sheltered assets key in Medicaid fraud and abuse

Whistleblowers are an increasingly important part of detecting Medicaid fraud while GOP lawmakers look more closely at those who shelter their assets in order to qualify for the program's long-term care.

The Wall Street Journal: Whistleblowers At Center Of States' Medicaid Fraud Action
Whistleblowers are becoming an increasingly important source of settlements from Medicaid fraud prosecutions as states try to raise revenue and eliminate waste and abuse (DePietro, 1/7).

CQ HealthBeat: House GOP Members Probe Medicaid Eligibility Problems In The States
As Congress sharpens its focus on deficit reduction and health care spending, some GOP members of Congress are taking a fresh look at how people shelter their assets in order to qualify for Medicaid long-term care. The move revives a long-running debate over whether Medicaid should be regarded as a middle-class entitlement or an assistance program for the truly needy. It also raises the question of whether 2005 changes in the law were effective in ensuring that people with enough money to afford nursing home care couldn't game the system (Norman, 1/8).