OHIO CAPITAL JOURNAL: 'HUSTED TOOK THOUSANDS FROM COMPANY THAT PAID OHIO $88 MILLION TO SETTLE MEDICAID FRAUD ALLEGATIONS'

The following information was released by the Ohio Democratic Party:

New reporting shows that Senator Jon Husted has taken at least $75,000 in campaign contributions from Centene, a company that was forced to pay the state of Ohio $88 million in damages for committing Medicaid fraud.

While Husted takes cash from big insurance companies, he has voted nine times against lowering health care premiums for Ohio families. Because of Husted's votes, health care costs have skyrocketed for an estimated 583,000 Ohioans.

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Ohio Capital Journal: Husted took thousands from company that paid Ohio $88 million to settle Medicaid fraud allegations

Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Jon Husted has taken at least $75,000 in campaign contributions from Centene, the largest Medicaid managed-care provider in the United States.

Of that, more than $29,000 came after the company paid $88.3 million to settle allegations that it had fraudulently extracted tens of millions from Ohio Medicaid.

Meanwhile, Husted has repeatedly voted against extending subsidies for 600,000 Ohioans who are now seeing their health insurance skyrocket. One of the reasons he has cited is fraudulent activity in the program during the coronavirus pandemic.

When Centene paid the settlement, then-Lt. Gov. Husted was part of the administration that was in charge of the program that had allegedly been defrauded.

The administration of Husted and Gov. Mike DeWine suspended contract negotiations with Centene for a few months in 2021. But taxpayer dollars flowed again after Centene hired an old friend of DeWine's to lobby the officials on its behalf.

Husted's office didn't respond to questions for this story including whether he thinks it's important to fight fraud.

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