Many parents rely on after school programs to keep their kids occupied and safe until they can be picked up after work. Whether provided at school or in a local community center, parents usually pay a fee and trust that their children will be properly cared for by staff that will help with homework and provide extracurricular activities or basic childcare services. An article published by The Ackworth Patch describes how two health care services company owners allegedly used after school programs and community meetings to defraud the Medicaid program of nearly $1 million.
The story states that a man, who is the owner of a health care services company, was enrolled as a Medicaid service provider for Georgia residents eligible for Medicaid benefits. Under the cover of multiple after school and community programs, the man allegedly obtained the Medicaid numbers of the enrolled children. Authorities say he then shared the Medicaid beneficiary numbers with a woman, who owned another health care services company.
The story reports that both company owners used the children’s Medicaid numbers to submit fake bills to Medicaid. (As you can imagine, the government claims none of the services billed for were performed.) The defendants allegedly received $977,677.53 from the Medicaid program.
A grand jury has charged the two company owners with Medicaid fraud, identity fraud and conspiracy to defraud the state of Georgia. They are awaiting a trial date.
Remember that the two people charged are innocent and deserve their day in court. While we don’t know what the final verdict will be after all evidence is presented, we do know that the government will not permit abuse of the government program or its youngest citizens who rightfully qualify for and deserve Medicaid benefits.
Source: Today’s ”Fraud of the Day” is based on an article titled, ”Pair Allegedly Took Advantage of Cobb Children for Medicaid Fraud,” written by Justin Ove and published by The Ackworth Patch on November 11, 2014.
A grand jury in Cobb County has charged two people with Medicaid fraud, identity fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the state for a scheme which allegedly stole the Medicaid numbers of local children and used them to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars of bogus billing payments from the state.
Matthew David Harrell owned Revive Athletics, Inc. in Henry County, and Andrea Lillie Barrett was the owner of Lillie Cares Health Services, LLC in Glynn and Chatham counties. Both defendants’ companies were enrolled as service providers for Georgians on Medicaid.
