Medicaid provider alleged to have falsified documents to cover up fraud
A Brunswick Medicaid provider and its owner have been ordered to pay more than $10 million to settle a civil fraud complaint filed by the federal government and the state of Georgia.
The judgments, approved by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, awards the government $9.7 million against Brunswick-based Miracle Home Care, Inc. and $400,000 against its owner, Shashicka Tyre-Hill of Brunswick, said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
The judgments are from a civil complaint filed in July 2018 alleging that Miracle Home Care violated the False Claims Act and the Georgia False Medicaid Claims Act with claims for reimbursement for thousands of false or fraudulent non-emergency transportation and adult day health services. The government’s complaint alleged that Miracle also falsified thousands of records to cover up their false Medicaid claims. Miracle and Tyre-Hill consented to judgments against them and to the amounts of the judgments.
“This result sends a message to would-be unscrupulous providers of healthcare,” said United States Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “Anyone who defrauds federally funded health care programs will be met with meaningful consequence. Our office is committed to continuing to partner with the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to protect the integrity of the Georgia Medicaid Program.”
“We are proud to have worked with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia on this case to hold those who steal taxpayer dollars accountable,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “This result is the culmination of years of collaboration between our office, the United States Attorney’s Office and HHS-OIG, and the results should send a strong signal that we will aggressively pursue those at fault for unnecessarily driving up the costs of our healthcare programs.”
“The act of falsifying records in order to steal millions of dollars from Medicaid, as alleged in this matter, will not be tolerated,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “The OIG will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office and the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit to safeguard vital healthcare funds.”
United States Attorney Christine and Attorney General Carr lauded the diligent work of the investigatory team, led by Special Agent David J. Graupner of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Investigator Sadarius A. Miley of the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Porter and Patrick J. Schwedler. The state of Georgia was represented by Assistant Attorney General James Mooney.
