WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced Jan. 27 that his office has filed a False Claims Act lawsuit against Deborah Kale, a personal care aide, for alleged Medicaid fraud.
“Those who exploit the Medicaid system for personal gain are taking services away from those who need them the most,” Racine said. “We will continue to aggressively pursue caregivers who steal from Medicaid.”
According to allegations, Kale submitted a phony time sheet to Health Management Incorporated. This purported action caused the company to overbill the district’s Medicaid program. Racine alleges the district lost $783.36 in taxpayer funds because of the purported fraud. His lawsuit seeks $2,350.08 in damages and $11,000 in civil penalties.
“Individuals or health care company employees who suspect fraud against the district’s Medicaid program can make an anonymous report to www.dhcf.dc.gov/page/reporting-fraud-waste-and-abuse-01 or by calling (877) 632-2873,” said district Department of Health Care Finance Medicaid director Claudia Schlosberg.
Racine and Schlosberg thanked the district’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, part of the district’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), for looking into the matter and referring the case to the Attorney General’s Office.