The bill's sponsor Republican Chris Koster of Western Missouri received praise on the Senate floor for negotiating a compromise between competing special interest groups.
"This fund is for the times when the legislature is out of session and the appropriations process is unavailable for immediate action," said bill sponsor Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, during discussions on the Senate floor.
Bills sponsored by Sen. Graham, Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, and Sen. John Loudon, R-Ballwin, will be fused together in an attempt to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within Missouri's Medicaid system.
"At least three and a half percent, or about $200 million, of Missouri's Medicaid money evaportates through fraud abuse," said Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, chairman of the special committee.
States that enact language from the Federal False Claims Act may retain 10 percent of false claims income, but Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, said Missouri's current law is not strong enough for the language, therefore leaving Missouri unable to compensate whistleblowers.
Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, and a former prosecutor, asked whether reporters would be able to hide behind the shield law to get out of testifying in libel cases.
Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, made reference to a couple he met as Cass County's prosecuting attorney. The 28-year-old man was placed on the list as a result of his relationship with a 15-year-old girl. They have been married for seven years and have three children together.
Sen. Chris Koster, R-Harrisonville, was appointed to the head of the Special Committee to Investigate Medicaid Fraud, which held exploratory hearings and conducted extensive research on the issue of Medicaid fraud in Missouri.
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