?More than $17 million was recovered last year by the Kansas Attorney General’s office in a crackdown on Medicaid fraud.

That is four times the amount of recoveries made in 2007 and 23 times more than recovered in 2006, Attorney General Steve Six said.

“During this time of economic uncertainty, it is critical that we do what we can to eliminate waste by cracking down on those who defraud the Medicaid system or commit fraud and abuse,” Six said.

The attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division investigates and prosecutes fraud committed by providers in the Medicaid program. The division also reviews complaints and pursues prosecution for the physical abuse or neglect of Medicaid recipients.

The crackdown involved multi-state litigation and criminal prosecution. In 2008 the Medicaid unit filed 24 criminal cases resulting in restitution orders. Multi-state lawsuits resulted in restitution from companies that included Merck, Glasco SmithKline, Walgreens, Cephalon and others.