The phrase ‘rapid counseling’ is a term used by the Department of Public to define a procedure of quick psychological aid that requires only one appointment. It characterizes the process of help offered to those in need of mental health treatment, in order to swiftly and precisely liberate them from troublesome psychological issues. Is it that easy? Diana Marie Moore thought so. Moore owned three behavioral health counseling services called Harmony Family Services. All three were approved medical providers for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency. Moore’s counseling services only offered rapid counseling. Despite billing the government for a whole lot more.
Starting in January 2020, Moore began obtaining AHCCCS identification numbers for AHCCCS enrollees by paying other Medicaid approved providers to transport their AHCCCS enrollees to her Harmony Family Services for a one-day visit. After these AHCCCS enrollees left her facilities from their one-day visit, Moore would submit bills to AHCCCS, claiming that Harmony Family Services continued providing services to those enrollees for up to 90 days. Afterwards, Moore fraudulently claimed that she provided counseling services to the given AHCCCS enrollee for eight or more hours each day, five days a week, during those 90 days. Unfortunately, Moore submitted claims to AHCCCS which falsely claimed that Harmony Family Services provided services to certain AHCCCS enrollees who were, in fact, deceased or imprisoned at the time services were supposedly provided. Oops.
Between January 2020 and December 2021, Harmony Family Services collectively received over $22 million in payments from Arizona’s Medicaid benefits. She plead guilty on July 13, 2023. As part of her plea deal, Moore agreed to forfeit four homes, seven luxury vehicles and over 100 other items, including jewelry and artwork, that she purchased with fraudulent proceeds.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Mesa woman pleads guilty to multimillion-dollar fraud targeting AHCCCS” published by the Arizona News on Jul 13, 2023
A Mesa woman admitted in court to defrauding Arizona’s Medicaid agency of millions of dollars, authorities said Thursday. Diana Marie Moore, 42, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of wire fraud and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said.
Her sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 18. Wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The penalty for money laundering is up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
