Mass. PCA Arraigned on Medicaid Fraud Charges

A Massachusetts personal care assistant has been arraigned on charges she allegedly overbilled the state Medicaid program nearly $8,000 for care services for the elderly and disabled that she never rendered, Attorney General Tom Reilly announced.

Lanisha Daniels, 29, of Springfield, was arrested by State Police assigned to the Attorney General’s Office. She was arraigned in Hampden County Superior Court before Justice Constance Sweeney on three counts of Medicaid false claims, two counts of larceny over $250 and one count of larceny under $250. Bail was set at $3,000 cash and Daniels is next scheduled to appear in court Dec. 9.

The charges follow an investigation by AG Reilly’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) into the alleged fraud which occurred between February 2003 and August 2004.

Daniels was hired to provide services to assist elderly and disabled people with daily living needs including housekeeping and cleaning, laundry, meals, and other tasks. The indictments allege that during February 2003 and August 2004, Daniels caused hundreds of false claims to be submitted to MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program by billing for hours she never worked. In order to do this, Daniels allegedly falsified time sheets reflecting these hours and falsified her clients’ signatures on the time sheets.

In total, it is alleged that Daniels was paid $8,000 for services that were never rendered.

Daniels alleged scheme to defraud the Medicaid program went undetected until June 23, 2003 when a Skills Trainer from STAVROS Center for Independent Living made a visit to one of Daniels’ clients apartments and reportedly observed extremely filthy living conditions.