The Ferguson File - October 2015

Dear Friends,

There is plenty of news from the Attorney General’s Office to share with you this month.
 We launched the new Wing Luke Civil Rights Unit, the first of its kind at the Attorney General’s Office, and a new Civil Rights Resource Guide is now available on our website.
 
A million dollar Medicaid Fraud scam in Clark County is on our enforcement agenda.
 
The federal government is being taken to task for its ongoing failure to protect the health and safety of our Hanford workers.
 
We’ve been asked by the Governor to review the charging decision in the police-involved shooting in Pasco.

We also scored important victories in the fight against child sex trafficking and the rights of Washington patients to have timely access to medication, including emergency contraceptives.
 
Finally this month, in accordance with our duty to defend the will of the voters, we asked the state Supreme Court to take another look at its charter schools decision.
 

In this issue:

An important role of the Attorney General’s Office is to protect Medicaid funds and the families who depend on this vital program.  My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit recently took action against CareOne Dental Corporation, a dental services provider with four offices in Washington, including two located in Vancouver.  We believe CareOne dentists in Clark County were engaged in fraudulent Medicaid billing scams and ultimately collected $1 million in improper Medicaid payments.  We currently estimate at least 20 percent of the claims CareOne Dental presented to Medicaid from January 2011 to June of 2015 were fraudulent. 

The lawsuit was brought under the Medicaid Fraud False Claims Act (FCA).  The Act, passed by the Legislature in 2012, is set to expire or “sunset” in 2016 if not renewed by lawmakers.  Since its passage, the Attorney General’s Office has recovered $6.1 million that it couldn’t have recovered without its authority under the FCA.   The highly effective use of the FCA is noted in this joint legislative audit report, which encourages the Legislature to renew the FCA.  The audit revealed a 28 percent increase in civil fraud recoveries thanks to the new law and concluded that $3 are recovered for taxpayers for every $1 invested. 

The Columbian
State AG files fraud suit against CareOne Dental
 
KOIN TV
Washington dentists accused in $1M Medicaid fraud

Our state has been waiting far too long for the federal government adequately to address the health risks facing Washington workers at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.  The safety of Hanford workers has been a problem for decades.  Hundreds have been exposed to toxic vapors that leak from aging storage tanks, suffering an array of health problems, including several long-term disabilities.  Despite decades of proof that these risks are real, there is still not enough being done to ensure worker safety.

The ongoing failure to protect these workers is unacceptable, and I will not tolerate it.  I have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Energy and its contractor, Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS).   My lawsuit alleges that hazardous tank vapors at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation pose a serious risk to workers at the site.  I am seeking immediate action from the federal government to remedy existing dangers and implement adequate and lasting safeguards for these workers.
                                           
Seattle Times
Feds must prioritize protection of Hanford workers
 
Spokesman-Review
Editorial: Task force may not understand urgency at Hanford

I’m pleased the Washington State Supreme Court adopted our position in ruling that a lawsuit against Backpage.com can proceed.  The lawsuit was brought by three young women who were sold for sex on Backpage.com.  Last year, I filed a “friend of the court” brief in the case, on behalf of the child victims.

The Court’s 6-3 decision agreed with the position advocated in our brief, that the plaintiffs should be given their day in court.  The ruling is an important victory in the fight against sex trafficking of minors.  My office has been a leader on this issue and will continue to stand up for victims.

The Columbian
In Our View: Shining Light on Sex Trade