Maine Investigates $1M in Medicaid Overpayments to Gateway Community Services

Audits over multiple years found a series of overpayments to the behavioral health provider

Published on Jan. 29, 2026

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The Maine Department of Health and Human Services has referred Gateway Community Services, a behavioral health provider based in Portland, to the state Attorney General's office after audits found over $1 million in Medicaid overpayments to the organization from 2015 to 2022. DHHS suspended Gateway's MaineCare payments in late December 2023 following the latest audit.

Why it matters

This case highlights the importance of oversight and accountability in Medicaid spending, as well as the challenges faced by state agencies in identifying and addressing fraud and abuse within the system. The scale of the overpayments to Gateway Community Services raises concerns about the potential for misuse of taxpayer funds intended to support critical behavioral health services.

The details

According to DHHS, audits conducted from 2015-2016 found over $100,000 in Medicaid overpayments to Gateway. A second audit from 2017-2018 uncovered more than $500,000 in overpayments. The most recent audit, initiated in 2023, identified over $1 million in overpayments from 2021-2022. DHHS referred Gateway to the state Attorney General's office before suspending the provider's MaineCare payments in late December 2023, though the exact timeline of the AG's involvement is unclear.

  • DHHS conducted an audit on Gateway from 2015 to 2016 and found over $100,000 in Medicaid overpayments.
  • A second DHHS audit was performed from 2017 to 2018, uncovering more than $500,000 in overpayments.
  • The most recent DHHS audit, initiated in 2023, identified over $1 million in overpayments from 2021 to 2022.
  • DHHS suspended Gateway's MaineCare payments on December 23, 2023.

The players

Maine Department of Health and Human Services

The state agency responsible for overseeing Medicaid spending and investigating potential fraud or abuse.

Maine Attorney General's Office

The state's chief law enforcement agency, which was referred the case by DHHS for further investigation.

Gateway Community Services

A behavioral health provider based in Portland, Maine that received over $1 million in Medicaid overpayments according to state audits.

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What’s next

The Maine Attorney General's Office will continue its investigation into the Medicaid overpayments to Gateway Community Services, and it remains to be seen if any criminal charges will be filed.

The takeaway

This case underscores the importance of rigorous auditing and oversight of Medicaid spending to ensure taxpayer funds are being used appropriately and to identify and address any potential fraud or abuse within the system.