Amador County - Amador County is among more than half of California counties set to receive part of $26.5 million designated to fight In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) fraud in California. Amador County received $20,046 immediately. Tuolumne County will receive $55,218 and Calaveras County will get $27,901 in financial support once specific program plans are figured out. “I promised to fight fraud and abuse in California's In-Home Supportive Services, which assists some of California's most vulnerable citizens. Today, I am proud to announce $26.5 million in awards that will help root out fraud in this program," said Governor Schwarzenegger. It is estimated that hundreds of millions of dollars are inappropriately or fraudulently expended through the IHSS program each year, affecting nearly half a million Californians. Types of IHSS fraud include identity theft and illegal solicitations. Schwarzenegger fought to include anti-fraud proposals in the 2009-10 budget. “Any fraud in our system is too much and, now more than ever, every dollar must count. We estimate a significant return on our investment in this budget year alone and that is very good news not only for taxpayers but especially for the Californians that rely on the resources provided by this important program,” he said. Program reforms include targeting mailings to high-risk or suspect providers, background checks and fingerprinting for all IHSS providers, enhanced anti-fraud training for county social workers, unannounced home visits, increasing the number of state fraud investigators, and prohibiting the use of P.O. boxes to receive provider checks. According to the Governor’s office, these anti-fraud efforts are expected to result in General Fund savings of $130 million in the 2009-10 budget. 29 counties received funding just before Christmas and another 16 will receive funding once plans are completed. There is no word yet as to the specific use of the funding allocated for Amador County. Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.