Wichita woman pleads guilty to defrauding Medicaid for $3.76 million
April 27, 2009 -- Attorney General Steve Six, along with the U.S. Attorney's Office, announced today that a Wichita woman pled guilty to one count of Health Care Fraud for defrauding Medicaid for $3.76 million.
Shelley Harding, Wichita, operated a drug and alcohol abuse treatment facility under the name of "A New Beginning." Harding pled guilty to knowingly submitting, and causing others to submit, materially false and fraudulent claims to Medicaid for drug and alcohol treatment services that were not provided.
"Fraud-like that demonstrated in this case-costs our state millions each year," Six said. "We will not tolerate abuse of the system, fraud or false claims at the expense of the Kansas Medicaid Program and Kansas citizens."
Between June 2001 and February 2006, Harding knowingly devised and executed a scheme to defraud the state's Medicaid program. Harding knowingly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for community-based drug and alcohol treatment services that were not provided, including claims for drug and alcohol treatment provided to children under the age of twelve years-old. Harding submitted false and fraudulent claims for drug and alcohol services for approximately 81 children.
"The Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Division is working hard to eliminate fraud from our state's Medicaid Program," Six said.
Attorney General Six has made cracking down on Medicaid fraud and abuse a top priority since taking office, resulting in over $17 million in recoveries on behalf of the state in 2008. This is more than four times the recoveries from 2007 and 23 times the amount recovered in 2006.
Harding will be sentenced July 13, 2009, at 2:30 p.m.