LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge announced Tuesday that Empower Healthcare Solutions, LLC will pay Medicaid almost $8 million in civil penalties and additional reconciliation payments.

According to Rutledge, the false claims settlement was based on a joint investigation that was initiated after questions were raised about how Empower was reporting expenses in 2020.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit found that Empower had improperly reported over $10 million dollars, officials said.

Empower maintains that the improper reporting was unintentional but did agree to modify its reporting and pay the state of Arkansas $1 million in civil penalties and costs, the attorney general’s office explained.

Officials said in addition to the $1 million Empower agreed to pay, the adjustments to its report of expenses in 2020 resulted in the company owing the Arkansas Medicaid Program more than $6 million dollars. The combined recovery from the settlement is $7,983,511.

“Over the past seven years, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has obtained 155 convictions and over $43 Million in monetary compensation for the people of Arkansas,” Rutledge said.

To report Medicaid fraud or false claims call the Medicaid fraud hotline at 866-810-0016.