By the numbers: At roughly $118.8 million, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit recovered more money from criminal cases involving Medicaid fraud last year than any other state, Caldwell announced this morning. Also, according to a new state-by-state breakdown of recoveries released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Caldwell’s Medicaid fraud unit ranked No. 2 for its fraud recoveries via civil cases, at roughly $126.5 million. Caldwell says his Medicaid fraud team consistently holds a top spot as one of the highest performing units in the nation, having recovered more than $100 million annually through criminal fraud and civil fraud cases from 2012-2014.
Powering up: Entergy Louisiana announced this morning that it has signed a five-year agreement to provide an additional 60 megawatts of electricity to power CF Industries’ expanding nitrogen facility in Donaldsonville. Deerfield, Illinois-based CF Industries recently said in a quarterly report that the $2.1 billion expansion project in Ascension Parish is on schedule for completion in the third quarter, but that costs associated with the project have risen. Entergy says in a news release that its agreement for the additional 60 megawatts, which took effect Sunday, brings the total load at the plant under contract by Entergy Louisiana to 130 megawatts.
Hacked: A state office that provides insurance plans for state employees says personal information of some of its members was obtained by hackers who breached the online security of Anthem Inc. The Office of Group Benefits says in a press release that about 2,700 of its members were affected by the hackers. The Anthem breach was announced in early February. The OGB says Social Security numbers of its members were not accessed. But member names, birth dates, city and state of residence and OGB member numbers may have been compromised. Anthem and Blue Cross Blue Shield will be notifying affected members by mail, OGB says.
