August 25, 2022
Washington state and the federal government will receive $33 million from health care giant Centene Corp. to resolve a lawsuit alleging it overcharged the state’s Medicaid program — a deal that amounts to the second-largest fraud recovery in the state’s history.
Washington’s Office of the Attorney General announced the deal Wednesday, saying Centene will pay about $19 million to the state and about $13 million to the federal government to toss allegations that the company overcharged for pharmacy benefit management services.
“Medicaid dollars are a precious resource meant to fund care for the most vulnerable among us,” Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in a news release. “My office works to ensure that these dollars go where they are intended — not toward fraud.”
Washington sued Centene in July 2022, alleging the company and one of its subsidiaries, Coordinated Care of Washington, violated the Washington Medicaid False Claims Act. Coordinated Care of Washington contracts with Washington’s Health Care Authority to manage its Medicaid program, which is called Apple Health, according to the release.
Read Centene Strikes $33M Deal to End Wash. Medicaid Fraud Suit.