Lab In Worcester Charged With Insurance Fraud

WORCESTER, MA - Central Lab Partners (CLP), a Worcester-based business owned by West Boylston resident Cynthia Norton, was indicted for potential insurance fraud, according to Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office.

The reported fraud and kickback arrangements involved several providers receiving nearly $8 million in false claims to MassHealth.

A Suffolk County grand jury returned indictments against the following:

• Central Lab Partners, the Worcester-based clinical lab
• Cynthia Norton, West Boylston, the owner of CLP
• Patient Care Solutions, a Danvers-based home health agency
• Colette Massamba and Maxwell Dede, Lynn, owners of PCS
• Optimum Labs, a New Bedford-based clinical lab
• William Owens, New Bedford, owner of Optimum
• Dr. Maria Batilo, a physician from Falmouth

According to the charges, CLP is accused of submitting false insurance claims to the state's Medicaid program, in turn receiving payments for urine drug tests and home health services that either never took place, were deemed medically unnecessary or improperly ordered by the doctor.

The full news release can be read at the state attorney general's website linked here.