Maximus gets N.Y. Medicaid fraud prevention work

Maximus Inc. has won a five-year contract from the New York Office of the Medicaid Inspector General to provide consulting services related to fraud, waste and abuse recovery for the state's $45 billion Medicaid program.

Under the contract, Maximus of Reston, Va., will assist the state in developing and carrying out strategies to supplement its efforts to combat Medicaid fraud and abuse.

Officials expect the efforts to improve the efficiency of New York's Medicaid program, the company said.

Because it is a contingency-based contract, the company chose not to provide a specific dollar value in its news release announcing the award, said company spokeswoman Rachael Rowland.

New York's Medicaid program has the largest Medicaid budget in the country and provides health care for more than 4.2 million citizens annually.

Maximus specializes in program management, consulting and information technology services.