A timetable for the remaining hearings of a House committee looking into Medicaid provider fraud should be known this week. The first of the hearings was held at the Capitol, with at least three more to be held – one each in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield. Representative Rob Schaaf of St. Joseph chairs the panel. He wants to wrap up as soon as possible. Many House members want a special legislative session to restore MAWD – the Medical Assistance to Workers with Disabilities program – but Governor Matt Blunt has said he will not call a special session unless there is a companion piece of legislation dealing with Medicaid provider fraud – something he and the Senate want. Schaaf, a medical doctor, fears approval of a Medicaid fraud bill supported by the Senate would prompt many physicians to opt out of the Medicaid program altogether.
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