Oversight of the state’s Medicaid program is well equipped to protect against fraud, and safeguards are in place to detect and prevent waste and abuse, state officials are expected to tell North Carolina lawmakers at a hearing on Thursday.
The message comes amid a standoff over funding for the program, which provides healthcare to 3 million low-income and disabled North Carolinians. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein says lawmakers need to approve more funding for the program to survive. Lawmakers say the program needs to be managed better.
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North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and the state’s top health official, Dev Sangvai, are expected to testify under oath Thursday to a legislative oversight committee on the state’s efforts to uncover and prosecute Medicaid fraud.
The committee is being led by Republican lawmakers. Jackson is a Democrat. And Sangvai, the…
PROCUREMENT & EXPENDITURE (STOPPING KICKBACKS)
Procurement fraud usually involves inflated invoices or “fictitious” vendors.
- The Three-Way Match: Never pay an invoice unless you have matched the Purchase Order (PO), the Delivery Note (signed), and the Supplier Invoice.
- Vendor Master File Review: Review your vendor list annually. Look for suppliers with the same bank details or physical addresses as your employees.
- Dual Authorization: Implement a “Two-to-Sign” rule for all EFT payments above a certain threshold (e.g., R5,000).
- No “Cashing” of Checks: If you still use physical checks, strictly prohibit “Cash” as a payee and store blank checks in a dual-lock safe.