Attorney General Ashley Moody's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has announced the arrest of a speech-language pathologist in Hillsborough County, Florida, for defrauding the state's Medicaid program. Kristin Marie Stiggleman, a therapy provider, is charged with Medicaid provider fraud and grand theft for inflating hours and misappropriating over $5,000 from the program.
Stiggleman, who was trusted to provide care for vulnerable children, abused that trust to line her own pockets. According to Attorney General Moody, she "inflated her hours spent treating children, billed for sessions she personally canceled, and even billed for services when children were unavailable due to hospitalization." Thanks to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit's investigation, her scheme has been shut down, and she will now face prosecution.
The investigation revealed that between March 2020 and September 2021, Stiggleman consistently billed for services not provided. She billed for sessions she had personally canceled, when children discontinued services, or when children were unavailable for services due to hospitalization. In total, she stole over $5,700 of public funds.
Stiggleman now faces one count of Medicaid-provider fraud and one count of grand theft, both third-degree felonies. Assistant Attorney General Joseph Kelly, through the Attorney General's Office of Statewide Prosecution, will prosecute the case.
The Florida Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is responsible for investigating and prosecuting providers who intentionally defraud the state's Medicaid program. Medicaid fraud not only steals from Florida's taxpayers but also undermines the integrity of the program. In addition to fraudulent billing practices, the unit also investigates allegations of patient abuse, neglect, and exploitation in facilities that receive Medicaid payments.
The Florida MFCU is funded through a grant of $29,707,695 for Federal Fiscal Year 2024 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General. This funding is crucial in supporting the unit's efforts to combat Medicaid fraud and protect taxpayers' funds.
To find out more, go to this link: https://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrelease/attorney-general-moody-announces-arrest-speech-language-pathologist-defrauding-florida