State hires company to detect Medicaid waste

The state has hired a company to detect waste, fraud and abuse in the state's Medicaid program, Gov. Steve Beshear said Tuesday.

On Oct. 4, Kentucky signed a contract with Ingenix, a Minnesota-based company. The company will use computer technology to review medical claims from Kentucky Medicaid providers, Beshear said in a release.

The contract is part of Medicaid cost-containment initiatives announced in July. State officials estimate that the new system will identify $27 million each year in excess spending.

This story was originally published October 20, 2010 at 12:44 PM with the headline "State hires company to detect Medicaid waste."