Audits of the New York State Department of Health’s oversight of the state Medicaid program found $790 million in savings by eliminating unnecessary payments and collecting rebates from drug makers.
That’s according to a report released last week by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
It comes as the state faces a $6 billion budget deficit — in part because of high Medicaid spending.
DiNapoli says the program is rife with waste, fraud and abuse.
Auditors found Medicaid overpaid for many long-term care recipients. They also found improper state payments to the federal government to cover prescription drug costs for out-of-state, incarcerated and dead recipients.
