Maine
Maine DHHS data shows recent spike in cases of alleged fraud
PORTLAND (WGME) – New numbers from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services are revealing a recent spike in cases of alleged fraud, waste and abuse in Maine over the past few years.
The state released the data after CBS13 filed a public records request.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit is responsible for looking into allegations of fraud within major state assistance programs.
That includes MaineCare, SNAP and temporary assistance for needy families.
We looked back eight years to get a sense of just how many cases the state has seen.
According to data CBS13 obtained through a public records request, in 2018, the unit received more than 1,400 fraud complaints.
In 2019, it was more than 1,000.
Amid all those complaints, investigators found 77 were “intentional program violations.”
Many more over those two years were referred to the Attorney General, local district attorneys and even federal prosecutors for review.
We don’t know the outcomes of those cases.
Fast forward to 2024, where complaints reached close to 1,000 again. This time, the unit found 164 intentional violations.
Fifty-one were referred to local DAs, five to the AG and three to the federal government.
Last year, there were still hundreds of complaints, and investigators found only 52 intentional violations, with 38 cases referred for prosecution on some level.
New numbers from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services are revealing a recent spike in cases of alleged fraud, waste and abuse in Maine over the past few years. (WGME)
And as of February of this year, the unit has received 94 complaints and found three program violations.
So far, no cases have been referred for prosecution.
Maine DHHS also has a program integrity unit, focused on waste, fraud or abuse within Maine’s Medicaid program.
Complaints have risen there, too, from 153 in 2023 to 183 in last year, a nearly 17 percent increase.
About a dozen of those cases were referred to the U.S. Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which accepted all for investigation or prosecution.
The Maine Attorney General’s Office says when a complaint is referred to them, it’s reviewed, and the AG then decides whether there is enough evidence to move forward.
We’re still waiting on a response from the U.S. Inspector General about how they handle these case referrals.
Maine
Matt Dunlap wins primary in Maine’s 2nd District as Democrats seek to hang on to Jared Golden’s seat
Matt Dunlap won the Democratic primary in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District after three rounds of ranked-choice voting, the state’s Secretary of State’s office announced Friday.
Democrats are seeking to hang onto a seat in a district that President Trump won in the last three presidential elections. State Sen. Joe Baldacci led after the first two rounds of ranked–choice voting, but Dunlap overtook him after challengers Paige Loud and Jordan Wood were eliminated.
Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a moderate, is retiring after four terms. His decision not to run for reelection was a blow to Democrats’ efforts to retake the House majority.
In the 2024 election, Golden was one of 13 Democrats to win a House race in a district also won by Mr. Trump. Golden declined to endorse Kamala Harris in the 2024 election and has voted with Republicans on several issues, including measures to avert a shutdown and on reining in Mr. Trump’s war powers authority.
Dunlap, the state’s auditor, will face Republican Paul LePage in November’s general election. LePage is a former two-term governor who ran unopposed in the GOP primary. As of May 20, LePage had $1.2 million cash on hand while Dunlap had less than $100,000, according to Federal Election Commission data.
Dunlap’s win marks a defeat for House Democrats’ campaign arm. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed Joe Baldacci, a state senator, saying he “has never lost an election and has consistently overperformed Democrats up and down the ballot, including a 3-point overperformance of the presidential ticket in 2024.”
Baldacci was the runner–up, the Maine Secretary of State’s office said. The results were announced 10 days after voters went to the polls due to the ranked-choice tabulations.
KENNEBUNK, Maine (WGME) — A 4-year-old girl is recovering after firefighters say she nearly drowned in a hotel pool in Kennebunk.
It happened at the Hampton Inn Saturday at around 9:30 p.m.
Kennebunk Fire Rescue says it got a call for someone not breathing.
When first responders got there, they say they found a 4-year-old in cardiac arrest after almost drowning.
That girl was flown to a Portland hospital, and she remains in critical condition.
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The cause of the incident is unclear at this time.
A 4-year-old girl is in critical condition after being pulled from a hotel pool in Kennebunk, Maine, on Saturday morning.
The Kennebunk Fire Department said it was dispatched to the Hampton Inn, at 6 Independence Drive, around 9:30 a.m. for a child not breathing. Firefighters and EMS arrived on scene and found a 4-year-old girl who was in cardiac arrest after a near drowning incident in the hotel pool.
Immediate and extensive resuscitative efforts were provided on scene, according to the fire department. The girl was taken by ambulance to MaineHealth Biddeford and then flown by medical helicopter to MaineHealth Portland, where she was in critical condition.
The circumstances surrounding the incident were not immediately provided.
This incident is under review, the fire department added, noting that additional information is not being released at this time out of respect for the family’s privacy.
The fire department is also offering these pool and water safety tips for the summer season: “Protect Children – Phones Down Eyes Up.”
- Always actively supervise: designate a sober, attentive “water watcher” within arm’s reach of young children. No phones or distractions.
- Use barriers: ensure pools have four-sided fencing with self-closing, self-latching gates; keep doors and gates locked.
- Life jackets: young or inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard–approved life vests near water.
- Swim lessons & skills: enroll children in age-appropriate swim lessons and teach basic water safety early.
- Know the environment: at hotels, check for lifeguards, pool depth markers, rules, and hazards; never assume someone else is watching.
- No diving in shallow water; no running or rough play near the pool.
- Remove toys from the pool when not in use—don’t leave items that attract children.
- Learn CPR: caregivers and hotel staff should be trained in infant/child CPR and rescue breathing. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing, call 911 immediately and begin CPR.
- Drain safety: keep hair, clothing, and body parts away from drains; teach older kids about the danger.
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