A Democratic-Republican team up of two state lawmakers wants to install new technology in hospitals in order to fight Medicaid fraud.

Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, a western New York Republican, and Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, D-Bronx, are calling for a measure that would install biometric technology in hospitals, doctors offices and medical clinics around the state with the goal of clamping down on fraud.

The technology is able to analyze and recognize DNA, fingerprints and other biological characteristics. The measure would require millions of people to provide the information in order to get prescriptions filled.

As Tom Precious of The Buffalo News points out, the bill could have civil liberties implications.

But Ranzenhofer, in a statement, said the measure would put effective limits on those trying to con the system, noting that the cost of Medicaid at nearly $54 billion a year drives up the cost of local property taxes.

“County governments are forced to spend almost all funds raised by property taxes on Medicaid due to sky-rocketing expenditures and there is no doubt that fraud is a major driving force behind these costs. At current levels of up to $5 billion per year, New York cannot afford to ignore this issue. Fraud prevention technology is the only practical mechanism to stop Medicaid fraud, abuse and overutilization of services,” Ranzenhofer said.

And both legislators said the measure would save millions and the technology is relatively cheap.

“New York will spend over $54 billion dollars last fiscal year on Medicaid and experts predict that 10% or over $5 billion is fraudulent charges to the state’s health insurance for the poor, disabled, and elderly. Before we start cutting billions of dollars in vital services for our children and most infirmed elderly, we need to cut out billions of dollars in fraud. We have the technology to do it. Now we need the leadership to implement that technology,” River said in a statement.

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