Attorney General's News Release

October 5, 2006

Assistant to Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon to head up national group fighting Medicaid fraud

Jefferson City, Mo. — Richard Williams, the director of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, has been elected president of the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units (NAMFCU) for 2007. The association, which is affiliated with the National Association of Attorneys General, promotes communication and cooperation among 49 state Medicaid fraud control units to fight fraud by health care providers.

“Rick Williams has been an excellent leader of our effort in Missouri to fight Medicaid fraud, helping us return almost $63 million to taxpayers since he's been the head of this unit,” Nixon said. “The national association and taxpayers across the country certainly will benefit from his expertise.”

Williams formerly served as the vice-president of NAMFCU and has served as a lead member of multi-state Medicaid fraud groups that obtained multi-million dollar settlements with the Abbott, Gambro, King and Serono pharmaceutical corporations. He joined the Missouri Attorney General's Office as director of the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in July 2001 after previously serving for more than 22 years as a Navy Judge Advocate and retiring at the rank of captain.

Williams was elected president at the annual conference of NAMFCU last month.

Attorney General Nixon formed the Missouri Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in 1994. At the time, Missouri was one of only a few states without such a unit. The unit has authority under state law to investigate and prosecute, both civilly and criminally, allegations of fraud against Missouri's Medicaid program, including abuse and neglect of Medicaid recipients.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818