Louisiana auditor sues state tax agency in Medicaid fight

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's legislative auditor is suing the state revenue department, trying to gain access to income tax records as he reviews Medicaid patients' eligibility.

Auditor Daryl Purpera filed the lawsuit this month in Baton Rouge district court.

The Baton Rouge Business Report says Purpera is asking a judge to force Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson to turn over tax data, claiming that's authorized under existing law.

Robinson has been at odds with Purpera over the issue for months. She says her agency can't relinquish those records, citing privacy protections in state law. She wouldn't comment on the lawsuit, and her lawyers haven't yet filed a response.

Purpera's office has directed an intense focus on Louisiana Medicaid, searching for waste and fraud in a program that accounts for half the state operating budget.

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Information from: Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, http://www.businessreport.com