Attorney General Keith Ellison’s bipartisan bill aimed at combating Medicaid fraud is moving to the Minnesota Senate floor for consideration after passing the Senate Finance Committee on May 1. The legislation, called the Medical Assistance Protection Act (MAP Act), was authored by Senator Ann Johnson Steward and Representative Matt Norris. It seeks to expand the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), grant new investigative authority, and strengthen state laws to make it easier to prosecute those who commit Medicaid fraud.
The bill has already cleared several committees in both the Senate and House, with its final stop in the House set for the Ways and Means Committee. Supporters say these measures are intended to improve oversight of Medicaid funds and protect taxpayer dollars.
“I’m proud of the strong track record of my office in holding Medicaid fraudsters accountable — and Minnesotans want more of it, which is why I’ve fought so hard to pass this bill,” Attorney General Ellison said. “I’m very pleased that after much committee review, the MAP Act is now on its way to the Senate floor. I thank Senator Ann Johnson Stewart for her steadfast steering of this bill to this point and hope to have the vote of every senator for this common-sense measure.”
According to information from Ellison’s office, his MFCU has secured over 340 convictions and recovered more than $90 million since he was first elected. Last year, Minnesota’s MFCU ranked among national leaders in investigations per Medicaid expenditure as well as charges filed and convictions secured.
Minnesota’s MFCU currently employs 32 staff members—a number set when the state’s Medicaid budget was about $13 billion. With that budget now at roughly $20 billion, federal recommendations suggest an increase in staffing levels.
As debate moves forward on the MAP Act, supporters emphasize its potential impact on protecting public resources by improving enforcement against fraud.
