New York attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy is making Medicaid fraud a central issue in her campaign, accusing current Attorney General Letitia James of failing to aggressively pursue prosecutions.
Komatireddy charges that prosecutions have sharply declined under James, with recoveries plummeting from $168 million in 2019 to just $31 million in 2024, according to data from the New York Attorney General's annual reports.
Komatireddy notes that Medicaid fraud recoveries have historically been a priority in New York, with the state's attorneys general routinely posting some of the nation's largest recoveries in the past.
Under Eliot Spitzer, for example, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit recovered $243.6 million in 2006, while Andrew Cuomo's office recovered over $660 million during his first three years as attorney general.
Komatireddy argues that James' office has failed to hold people accountable for stealing from Medicaid, with the number of criminal convictions dropping sharply under her tenure.
The state's handling of Medicaid fraud has caught the attention of the federal government, with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz sending a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul this year.
Komatireddy pledges to strengthen the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit by adding 20 criminal prosecutors and to make prosecutions a priority in her office.
Komatireddy argues that reduced enforcement ultimately costs New Yorkers by increasing healthcare spending and reducing funds available for other state priorities, and that she would work to recover taxpayer money lost to Medicaid fraud.
Komatireddy frames the race as a choice between a career law enforcement prosecutor and an inept incumbent, and says that she would work to hold people accountable for stealing from Medicaid and protect taxpayers' interests.
