Panel to review bill offering MaineCare fraud ‘bounties’

AUGUSTA — A legislative committee this week will take another look at a bill to authorize payments to people who report MaineCare fraud.

The Judiciary Committee has scheduled a work session on the bill for Tuesday afternoon.

At a hearing last week, the committee heard from some individuals and groups who praised the idea as a potential money maker for the state, and others who found the idea of bounties distasteful.

Lincoln Republican Rep. Jeffrey Gifford’s bill allows payments for a person who brings action citing fraud in MaineCare. Supporters said the state could recover $15 for every $1 spent investigating those cases.

But critics said those pluses are overstated, and Maine could get bogged down in multi-state litigation that costs money.

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