Medical Equipment Owner Defrauded State Of Medicaid Funding: AG

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — A Cook County medical equipment company's owner and biller have been charged with defrauding the state out of more than $600,000 in medicaid funds, according to a news release from Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office.

According to the release, Doreatha Thomas, 59, and Siobahan Booker, 37, both of Olympia Fields, were charged in Cook County Circuit Court with two counts of theft, a felony punishable by six to 30 years in prison. Thomas and Booker were also charged with one count of vendor fraud, punishable by four to 15 years in prison, and one count of forgery, punishable by two to five years in prison, the release states.

Thomas owns Integrity Medical & Physician Supply, a medical equipment supply company in Olympia Fields that sells diabetic supplies, hospital beds, wheelchairs, canes and urinary incontinence supplies, the release states. Raoul alleges in the indictments that Thomas and Booker, as the company’s biller, submitted fraudulent claims to Illinois’ Medicaid program for diabetic supplies that were not provided to patients.

According to Raoul's office, Integrity Medical & Physician Supply billed the Medicaid program for more boxes of glucose monitor sensors than patients were actually prescribed. In total, Thomas and Booker defrauded Illinois’ Medicaid program out of nearly $685,000, according to the attorney general.

“Thousands of Illinois residents rely on Medicaid for their health care, and we will not tolerate individuals abusing this critical program for the own financial benefit,” Raoul said. “My office will continue to work with our state government partners to identify fraud and hold those who engage in Medicaid fraud fully accountable to the people of Illinois.”

According to the news release, the Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau of the Illinois State Police conducted the investigation into the company and its billing practices following a referral from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois.

“The Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates allegations like these every day to ensure that resources allotted to provide care to the sick and vulnerable are not diverted to providers who try to game the system for financial gain,” said Brendan F. Kelly, director of the state police.

“[Healthcare and Family Services'] Office of the Inspector General appreciated the opportunity to support [Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau]’s investigation and the resulting indictment,” said Healthcare and Family Services Inspector General Brian Dunn. “As the administrator of the state’s Medicaid program and a steward of public resources, HFS takes any attempt to defraud Illinois’ Medicaid program very seriously.”

According to the release, Medicaid Fraud Deputy Bureau Chief Heather D’Orazio and Assistant Attorney General Steve Krueger are handling the case for Raoul’s Medicaid Fraud Bureau.

The public is reminded that the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.