AUGUSTA - Mainers that believe a Medicaid provider, or a Medicaid recipient, is defrauding the program would be allowed to sue to stop the fraud and not only get the money back for the state, but also get a cash award from the court for filing the lawsuit.

Rep. Jeffery Gifford (R-Lincoln) introduced the bill because he has been hearing for years from Mainers that this person or that Medicaid provider is cheating. He says his bill will provide another tool to go after fraud, one already in use by the federal government.

The measure is also drawing support from the Maine Equal Justice Partners, a low income advocacy group. They say the real fraud problem is providers filing fake claims and that the federal law has been used to go after some of that fraud. The measure now goes to the legislature's Judiciary Committee for a public hearing.