2026-26 HAWAIʻI ATTORNEY GENERAL REJECTS CHARACTERIZATION OF MEDICAID FRAUD ENFORCEMENT AND DEFENDS STATE’S ENFORCEMENT RECORD

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

ANNE LOPEZ

ATTORNEY GENERAL

LOIO KUHINA

HAWAIʻI ATTORNEY GENERAL REJECTS CHARACTERIZATION OF MEDICAID FRAUD ENFORCEMENT AND DEFENDS STATE'S ENFORCEMENT RECORD

News Release 2026-26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2026

HONOLULU - The Department of the Attorney General today rejected recent claims that Hawaiʻi "isn't taking Medicaid fraud seriously," calling the claims by Vice President J.D. Vance false and unsupported by the record.

Since 2021, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has secured or helped secure judgments, settlements and recoveries in 25 cases, totaling $14,094,547.91. Last year, the MFCU secured a $30,000 settlement against a Medicaid provider for fraudulent billing. Earlier this year, the MFCU secured another Medicaid fraud settlement in the amount of $208,317.69.

The MFCU also filed criminal charges earlier this year against two individuals, one of whom has already pleaded no contest as charged.

"Political attacks do not change the facts," said Attorney General Anne Lopez. "Hawaiʻi has not ignored Medicaid fraud. Our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has secured or helped secure more than $14 million in judgments, settlements and recoveries since 2021, filed recent criminal charges - and is actively working with federal and state partners to strengthen investigations and prosecutions. We welcome accountability, but we will not allow the work of this unit to be mischaracterized as doing nothing."

The Hawai'i Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is committed to working closely with federal partners, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), its MFCU Oversight Division and Office of Investigations, as well the MFCU's closest state partner, the Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division, to detect, investigate, and prosecute Medicaid fraud in the state of Hawai ʻ i.

In April of this year, a team from the HHS-OIG MFCU Oversight Division did an on-site review of the MFCU's case files and policies and procedures, interviewed MFCU employees, stakeholders and Attorney General Lopez. Together with the on-site team, the MFCU identified a number of challenges that have impacted its ability to initiate criminal charges and obtain convictions. The MFCU is actively addressing this situation, including increased collaboration with the unit's state and federal partners to detect and investigate Medicaid and Medicare Fraud in Hawai'i, accelerated recruitment of new investigators, and developing innovative tools for investigation.

" The Department of the Attorney General and the MFCU take Medicaid fraud, patient abuse and neglect very seriously," said Landon Murata, director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. "We appreciate the continued assistance and cooperation of HHS-OIG, the MFCU Oversight Division, the Office of Investigations and Med-QUEST as we strengthen our enforcement efforts."

For more information about MFCU, please see the attached fact sheet.

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