New York State Assemblyman Kim Duksik and the State Council on Aging announced a new proposal on May 13th to enhance the oversight of the Senior Adult Day Care (SADC) program in order to address long-standing complaints of Medicaid fraud and abuse.
Duksik stated that since becoming Chair of the State Council on Aging, he has been meeting with industry professionals to discuss their most pressing issues and concerns. It was found that the primary concern among people was related to the fraudulent activities and schemes involving Medicaid cards and dishonest elderly day care centers, where unscrupulous operators exploit the Medicaid system for improper reimbursement or funding.
In testimony over the past year, Duksik has emphasized that the regulation of the elder care industry is too lax, allowing anyone to open an elderly care center without clear oversight on whether they are actually providing services, with some bad actors deceiving taxpayers for profit. For instance, he discovered instances where operators offered cash kickbacks to elderly individuals holding Medicaid cards to entice more registrations, constituting healthcare benefit fraud.
“This announcement today comes after nearly a year-long process,” Duksik said at the announcement ceremony at the “Golden Years Elderly Club,” “We have struck a balance between necessary supervision and regulation while maintaining the primary mission of adult day centers, which is to provide a safe and healthy space for our seniors.”