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Komatireddy pledges $1B Medicaid fraud recovery as NY AG
The Republican candidate said she would expand Medicaid fraud prosecutions and return recovered funds to taxpayers if elected New York attorney general.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 10, Jul 2026
- 17:17 EDT
- 36
Saritha Komatireddy / Saritha Komatireddy via LinkedIn
Republican New York Attorney General candidate Saritha Komatireddy on July 10 pledged to recover at least $1 billion in stolen Medicaid funds if elected.
The Republican candidate unveiled a campaign proposal to recover the money during her first term, citing recent federal findings and an Empire Center analysis that ranked New York among the nation's weakest performers in combating Medicaid fraud.
Also Read: Saritha Komatireddy slams Letitia James over Medicaid fraud unit
Komatireddy said she would strengthen the state's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit by adding 20 criminal prosecutors and return recovered funds to taxpayers through what she called a "Crime Tax Refund."
According to an Empire Center analysis of HHS Office of Inspector General data cited by the campaign, New York ranked 49th nationally in Medicaid fraud investigations per billion dollars spent and last among states and the District of Columbia in indictments and convictions during Attorney General Letitia James' tenure.
"Every dollar stolen from Medicaid is a dollar stolen from New York taxpayers, and means that patients, seniors, and children in New York have been deprived of critical medical care," Komatireddy said.
"For too long, Albany has accepted fraud and neglect as the cost of doing business. I don't. We are going to investigate more cases, prosecute more criminals, recover more stolen money, and return those savings to the hardworking New Yorkers who paid the bill in the first place,” she added.
In a post on X, Komatireddy wrote, "New Yorkers deserve accountability. As Attorney General, I'll recover at least $1 billion in stolen Medicaid funds, crack down on fraud, and return recovered money to taxpayers through a Crime Tax Refund. It's time to protect taxpayers and those who depend on Medicaid."
Komatireddy also criticized the current administration's handling of Medicaid fraud enforcement, alleging the attorney general's office receives more than 2,000 patient abuse and neglect complaints annually while securing relatively few criminal convictions.
The proposal comes amid heightened scrutiny of New York's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General denied the unit's recertification and suspended federal funding effective July 1, citing concerns over low levels of criminal Medicaid fraud enforcement and patient abuse prosecutions.
James' office has disputed criticism of its record, saying New York has recovered more than $627 million in Medicaid funds since 2019 and ranks among the nation's leaders in total recoveries. The office has also argued that recent federal actions against the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit were politically motivated.
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