Attorney General William Tong announced a $186,731 civil judgment against Newtown registered nurse Jeannie V. Pasacreta following an illegal scheme to bill the Connecticut Medicaid program for psychotherapy and medical services she never provided.
From 2013 through 2018, Pasacreta operated a psychotherapy and medication administration practice known as Integrated Mental Health Services, LLC in Newtown. A joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General and the Chief State’s Attorney’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit revealed that from 2016 through 2018, Pasacreta knowingly submitted false claims to the Connecticut Medicaid program, collecting tens of thousands of dollars for services never rendered to her Medicaid patients.
The investigation found that Pasacreta's fraudulent claims used billing codes that reimbursed her at the highest possible rates for the longest psychotherapy sessions and the most complex medical services. Evidence showed hundreds of instances where no treatment was provided on the billed dates.
“This case involved fabrication of hundreds of false claims, resulting in tens of thousands of dollars in payments for services never provided. This civil judgment follows a related guilty plea, both of which will result in significant restitution for the Connecticut Medicaid program,” said Attorney General Tong.
The Office of the Attorney General acknowledged the Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, the Department of Social Services, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General for their partnership in this investigation.
Anyone with knowledge of suspected fraud or abuse in the public healthcare system is urged to contact the Attorney General’s Government Fraud Section at 860-808-5040 or ag.fraud@ct.gov; the Connecticut Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 860-258-5986 or conndcj@ct.gov; or the Connecticut Department of Social Services fraud reporting hotline at 1-800-842-2155, online at www.ct.gov/dss/reportingfraud, or providerfraud.dss@ct.gov.
Assistant Attorney General Richard Porter, Forensic Fraud Examiner Thomas Martin, and Deputy Associate Attorney General Gregory O’Connell assisted in this matter.