Republican New York attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy has made Medicaid fraud a central issue of her campaign, accusing incumbent Attorney General Letitia James of failing to adequately pursue fraud cases. Komatireddy points to a significant decline in Medicaid fraud recoveries during James's tenure, citing data from the New York Attorney General's annual reports.

According to Komatireddy, Medicaid fraud recoveries fell from $168 million in 2019, James's first year in office, to just $31 million in 2024. She also noted that under previous Democratic attorneys general, recoveries ranged between $200 million and $300 million annually. Komatireddy stated, "It used to be the case the New York Attorney General's office would get around 100 criminal convictions a year, holding people who are stealing from Medicaid accountable," but under James, that number has dropped significantly, with one year seeing only eight convictions.

Komatireddy accused James of "totally failing to prosecute Medicaid fraud," suggesting taxpayers could be losing out on hundreds of millions of dollars. She vowed to add 20 prosecutors to address the issue if elected.

The focus on Medicaid fraud has gained national attention after investigators uncovered billions of dollars in alleged fraud tied to public assistance programs in Minnesota. This controversy led the Trump administration to prioritize fraud crackdowns, with Vice President JD Vance spearheading federal efforts. Republican candidates nationwide, including in New York, are calling for stronger prosecution of Medicaid fraud to recover taxpayer money.

For context, Andrew Cuomo's office recovered over $660 million in Medicaid fraud during his first three years as attorney general.

Sources