Connersville Woman Sentenced for Medicaid Fraud

INDIANAPOLIS—Joseph H. Hogsett, United States Attorney, announced today that Andrea R. Williams, 23, Connersville, Ind., was sentenced to two years’ probation today by U.S. District Judge William T. Lawrence, for health care fraud following a six month investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

From January 2008, and continuing through May 20, 2010, Andrea Williams, the billing manager of Handy Van Medical Transportation (HVM), used her position at the company to carry out a scheme to defraud the Indiana Medicaid Program.

HVM is a company operating in the Connersville, Ind., area which transports Indiana Medicaid beneficiaries to medical appointments. Williams, as the billing manager, submitted claims for payment to Indiana Medicaid falsely indicating that HVM was providing all of its services to wheelchair bound patients, thereby causing Indiana Medicaid to pay at higher rate. Williams further represented that most patients required an additional attendant to help transport these patients which was also false.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the premises of HVM on May 20, 2010. During this search, Williams confessed to the above scheme. As a result of her actions, Indiana Medicaid lost $102.012.02.

"The detection of fraud in Medicare and Medicaid is the priority of the Office of Inspector General." said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Region for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. "Working with our federal and state partners we will continue to defend the interests of patients and taxpayers and hold those who attack these programs accountable."

"Medicaid fraud is an offense against all taxpayers. When a wheelchair van provider fraudulently over-bills Medicaid for their own selfish ends, it diverts Medicaid dollars that are needed elsewhere to pay for other patients. The Indiana Attorney General's Office and Indiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit work collaboratively with our federal counterparts to detect over-billing and to hold accountable the fraudsters to reimburse the public treasury," Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley P. Shepard, who prosecuted the case for the government, Judge Lawrence ordered Williams to make restitution in the amount of $102.012.02.