PERSONAL CARE PROVIDER GUILTY OF MEDICAID FRAUD

J.Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that a Montgomery County woman who worked as a provider of personal care services to vulnerable adults has pled guilty to billing the Medicaid Program for work that she did not in fact perform.

Natailya Skrinskaya, 44, of the 3700 block of Bel Pre Road in Silver Spring, pled guilty before Montgomery County Circuit court Judge Ann S. Harrington to one count of felony Medicaid fraud. She admitted to submitting numerous false invoices and reports to the Medicaid program in connection with work purportedly performed for Medicaid’s Personal Care Program. That program helps qualified elderly, chronically ill, or disabled persons remain in their homes and out of institutional care by providing an aide who assists the recipient with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, walking, eating, grooming, toileting, and some household services.

An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General revealed that Skrinskaya was not providing services during many of the hours she billed. Evidence developed by the State proved that on many dates when the defendant billed for providing personal care services, she was actually out of the country on vacation. Additionally, the State discovered that Skrinskaya billed Medicaid for work supposedly provided to a recipient in his apartment on dates when the person was actually living in a nursing home. Skrinskaya’s fraud caused a loss to Medicaid of $7,400.

Sentencing has been set for September 15, 2004. Felony Medicaid fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. As an additional consequence of her conviction, Skrinskaya will be excluded for at least five years from working for any health care provider that accepts Medicaid or Medicare funds.

This case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case was referred to the Office of the Attorney General by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

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