In January of 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice reported a record-breaking year for False Claims Act recoveries, with the vast majority related to healthcare. What the DOJ report does not capture, however, is the similarly parallel growth in state False Claims Act enforcement, especially with efforts related to long-term care.
State’s attorneys general have unique statutory responsibility to investigate and enforce laws relating to abuse and neglect of vulnerable adults. At the American Health Law Association’s Long-Term and Post-Acute Care conference in Nashville in February, a panel of assistant attorney generals from various states discussed their office’s structure, mission and focus, as well as various initiatives and enforcement priorities.
I moderated the session with Louise Lock and Raja Misha from the Maryland Medicaid Fraud and Vulnerable Victims Unit and Brendan Maturan from the Michigan Health Care Fraud Division of the Office of the Attorney General.
The panelists discussed how their offices open or get new cases, with many new matters coming from complaints from patients or family members of patients; other reports frequently come from other care providers, like hospitals, who have an obligation to report signs of abuse or neglect. Still other cases are developed by the investigative tools within the various offices themselves.
In each office, there are attorneys dedicated to healthcare enforcement. Additionally, many of the investigations in each office...
In January of 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice reported a record-breaking year for False Claims Act recoveries, with the vast majority related to healthcare. What the DOJ report does not captu...