CANTON — The Utica attorney who helped St. Lawrence County recoup $1 million in state Medicaid payments is proposing another project.

The county will contract the Nancy Rose Stormer law firm to comb through Medicaid cases and find Department of Social Services clients who were incorrectly classified into a category that provided the county with less state reimbursement.

"We don't have the expertise," said James W. Davis, county social services commissioner. "This is very complicated data. If it was easily retraceable, the state would have paid us to begin with."

The state annually reimbursed counties for services to mentally disabled residents, but some eligible clients were classified under categories that included a local cost.

"These are going back 15 years," Mr. Davis said.

The firm estimates the county could get back $500,000. In 2006, Ms. Stormer recouped $1,042,681 on the county's behalf.

The county was one of four that rejected state settlement offers in 2006 for similar unpaid Medicaid claims.

The county received $782,011. The firm kept $260,670. Ms. Stormer is proposing the same 25 percent fee. Her law firm referred inquiries to Mr. Davis.

"There's no liability to the county. There is no expense," he said.

The legislative Finance Committee is expected to approve contracting Ms. Stormer at its Monday meeting.

"She did a pretty decent job last time around and I think we should go with her," said Thomas R. Grow, R-Brasher Falls.

Jefferson and Lewis counties, which took state settlements in 2006, were not contacted.

"I'd assume we'd do what we have in the past, internally. We're small enough that we can do that," said Penny A. LaBarge, Lewis County commissioner.