The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office (AGO) has announced that the Suffolk County Statewide Grand Jury has indicted several MassHealth providers and their owners for alleged fraud and kickback schemes. These schemes reportedly led to over $7.8 million in false claims submitted to MassHealth for services such as urine drug tests and home health services, which were allegedly not provided, medically unnecessary, or improperly authorized.
On March 10, 2025, indictments were returned against Central Lab Partners, LLC (CLP), a Worcester-based clinical laboratory; Cynthia Norton of West Boylston, owner of CLP; Patient Care Solutions, LLC (PCS), a Danvers-based home health agency; Colette Massamba and Maxwell Dede of Lynn, owners of PCS; Optimum Labs, Inc. (Optimum), a New-Bedford-based clinical laboratory; William Owens of New Bedford, owner of Optimum; and Dr. Maria Batilo, a Falmouth-based physician.
The AGO alleges that CLP, PCS, and Batilo participated in a kickback scheme resulting in false claims being submitted to MassHealth for urine drug tests and home health services that did not occur or were unnecessary. According to the AGO's allegations, these entities targeted sober homes wanting frequent urine drug tests for sobriety monitoring purposes. They then enrolled patients from these homes into services with their companies without medical necessity under MassHealth guidelines.
It is further alleged by the AGO that PCS paid Batilo to authorize these services falsely as physician-approved and necessary so they could be billed to MassHealth. The AGO also claims many billed home health services never took place or involved hospitalized or deceased patients.
As part of the charges related to these allegations, CLP, Norton, PCS, Massamba, Dede, and Batilo face various counts including Medicaid False Claims; Larceny over $1,200; and Medicaid Kickbacks. Additionally charged with Money Laundering are Dede and Massamba.
In another alleged scheme involving CLP and Optimum Labs Inc., it is claimed that Optimum referred drug tests to CLP in exchange for insurance reimbursement shares. For this allegation too CLP along with Norton Optimum Owens face Medicaid Kickbacks charges.
Additionally Batilo is accused by the AGO of illegally charging cash payments from MassHealth patients for Suboxone treatment despite its coverage by MassHealth which contravenes state law prohibiting such charges when covered by Medicaid programs leading her charge with Medicaid Excess Charges
All defendants remain presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Handling this case are Assistant Attorneys General Scott Grannemann Kevin O’Keefe Heidi Lyn Gosule Investigations Supervisors Shelby Stephens Joe Shea Senior Healthcare Fraud Investigators William Welsh Vanessa Asiatidis Investigator Kevin Todd all within AGOs' Medicaid Fraud Division aided by Insurance Fraud Bureau Massachusetts
The AGO’s division annually certified US Department Health Human Services investigates prosecutes healthcare provider frauds on state’s program while also addressing abuse neglect financial exploitation long-term care residents medicaid settings Complaints reports filed via AGOs website
Massachusetts' division receives major funding from US Department Health Human Services grant totaling $5 922 320 federal fiscal year remaining funded Commonwealth Massachusetts totaling $1 974 102 FY2025