LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt on Wednesday requested the U.S. Department of Justice’s newly established National Fraud Endowment Division look into possible cases of Medicaid fraud in Michigan under the objectives of the National Task Force to Eliminate Fraud established by President Donald Trump and chaired by Vice President JD Vance.
“We want to make sure this money is available so people who truly deserve these resources can get the support they need,” said Nesbitt, R-Porter Township. “That is exactly why we must also make sure fraudsters who make a career of gaming these systems are held accountable. We are not going to stop asking the questions that need to be asked to protect taxpayer dollars.”
Nesbitt said serious red flags that prompted his request included a recent investigative report that tracked sharp upticks in Medicaid billings following changes implemented by Democrats after they took control of both legislative chambers in 2022 and a March report by Michigan’s independent Auditor General that found the state’s Department of Health and Human Services failed for more than seven years to sufficiently monitor an $82 million contract with a private pharmacy benefits manager administering drug rebates for Medicaid.
“Taxpayers deserve assurance that Medicaid dollars are protected against waste, fraud and abuse, and that criminals who siphon from this system are held accountable to the full extent of the law,” Nesbitt wrote in a letter to U.S. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald. “President Trump and Vice President Vance are leading the fight to combat widespread fraud and restore accountability in this system.”
