Nassau County - Long Island, New York

December 31, 2013

MANGANO ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN ROOTING OUT WELFARE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE

Over $15.5 Million in Social Services Savings Since January 2013

Mineola, NY-Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced today that 2013 has been another highly successful year for the Department of Social Services Office of Investigations,in continuing to crack down on those individuals attempting todefraud Nassau County taxpayers.

“Despite the fact that time and time again we inform the public that those who cheat the system will be caught and prosecuted, some continue to question our determination to root out fraudand abuse," said County Executive Mangano. "I again say to those who would steal money from the neediest of our citizens: you will be caught and prosecuted, and the money you’ve stolen will be returned to our taxpayers."

Some of the most recent case highlights include:

  • $6.7 Million in total cost savings throughout all programs areas, such as Medicaid, Public Assistance, Day Care and SNAP (Food Stamps), resulting from more than 3,000 investigations and reviews of benefits.
  • $1.2 Million in criminal welfare fraud identified and referred to the District Attorney’s Office.
  • $752k in restitution recovered by the District Attorney’s office, resulting in 12 arrests.
  • $1.3 Million in Medicaid cost savings, the result of closer scrutiny of applications for medical assistance benefits.
  • $8 Million in civil recoveries resulting from pursuing liens on property and estatesby the Liens and Recovery Unit.
  • $1.4 Million in Day Care cost savings, the result of closer scrutiny of applications for child care benefits, including $537k in criminal Day Care fraud referred to the District Attorney’s office.  Since April 2011, when DSS started its ground-breaking Day Care “front end detection system,” more than $2.9 Million in taxpayer money has been saved by shutting down benefits and/or referring to the DA’s office.

In addition, after the success of a $100,000 fraud grant from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) in 2012, in July 2013 Nassau County was awarded an additional OCFS grant of $40,000 to detect and deter Day Care fraud. These funds will be utilized to develop and launch a state of the art fraud referral and case management software program that will provide greater accountability and efficiency in the DSS fraud referral and investigation system.

In June 2013, DSS Deputy Commissioner Sunita Manjrekar and Director of Investigations Scott Skrynecki were asked to present at the New York Welfare Fraud Investigators Association Annual Training Conference on Nassau’s first of itskind Day Care Provider Fraud Task Force which inspected 80 Day Care facilities in 2012 and 2013, uncovered an alarming 30% non-compliance rate and resulting in $1.7 Million in savings.

To report a case of suspected waste, fraud or abuse, please visit the county website at:http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/Welfare/index.html or call our toll-free hotline at (877) 711-TIPS(8477). All callers can remain anonymous.