From: Whipple, Deb (GOV)
Sent: Friday, February 19, 2010
5:40 PM
Subject: What the Governor is Talking About Today
What the Governor’s Talking about
Today
Friday, February 19, 2010
Governor Issues Executive Order to Further
Fight Fraud, Waste, Abuse in Health Services Programs
The governor today issued Executive Order 2010-1 to
further fight fraud, waste and abuse in state health services programs by
establishing the Office of Health Services Inspector General. The office
will be an independent and autonomous entity within the Department of Community
Health and is one of the 29 government reforms outlined by the governor in
January to transform Michigan government.
The Office of Health
Services Inspector General will work to prevent, detect and investigate fraud,
waste and abuse in the state’s Medicaid, mental health, MIChild and Children’s
Special Health Care Services programs. The health services inspector
general will be appointed by the governor.
Duties of the Office of
Health Services Inspector General include:
• Soliciting,
receiving and investigating complaints related to fraud, waste and abuse in
health services programs
• Assuming the Department of Community
Health’s duties under federal law with respect to fraud, waste and abuse for the
administration of health services programs in the state
• Seeking out
fraudulent billing practices of providers and developing techniques and
procedures for detecting suspect billing patterns
• Recommending to
the governor and the director of the Department of Community Health policies
that will prevent and better detect fraud, waste and abuse in health services
programs
Pending legislative review, Executive Order 2010-1
will take effect October 1, 2010.
Key messages:
• Although
the Department of Community Health has been successful in fighting fraud, waste
and abuse, these responsibilities now will be consolidated in the Office of
Health Services Inspector General along with an increased focus on specific
auditing and fraud prevention goals.
• The inspector general will be
an independent watchdog whose top priority will be safeguarding taxpayer
dollars.
Governor Thanks Obama Administration for
Federal Funding to Help Prevent Foreclosures
The governor issued the following statement
regarding President Obama’s announcement today that Michigan and four other
states hit hard by the foreclosure crisis will receive $1.5 billion in funding
for innovative measures to help homeowners:
“We are thankful the
Obama administration continues to recognize the many economic challenges facing
Michigan. These funds will help struggling Michigan homeowners avoid the
devastation of foreclosure and allow families to remain together in their
homes. Protecting families during these tough economic times is one of our
top priorities, and we’re grateful for this assistance as we continue working on
transitioning Michigan to a new 21st century economy.”
Governor Applauds Chrysler Announcement to
Keep Sterling Heights Assembly Plant Open
The governor issued the following statement today
regarding Chrysler’s announcement that it will keep its Sterling Heights
Assembly Plant open:
“I am pleased that Chrysler LLC has agreed to
keep its Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) open. Today’s announcement
that the company is going to ‘buy back’ this plant from its pre-bankruptcy
holding corporation is a victory for the Sterling Heights community, the UAW and
all the others who worked so hard to bring this about. The fact that this
plant would have been closed in 2010 and now will continue to operate, at least
through 2012, is great news for the 1,250 Michigan employees building Chrysler
Sebring and Dodge Avengers there. This decision also enables us to work
all the harder to help convince Chrysler that it makes sense to build its future
mid-sized vehicles at SHAP, guaranteeing a long-term future for the plant and
its employees.”
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