A Brookhaven woman has been convicted of Medicaid fraud and ordered to pay back $305,685, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced May 12.
Teresa Renee Owens, 60, was the owner of Better Home Healthcare of Georgia in Atlanta, a business that provided behavioral health therapy services to children and adults.
In March, Owens pleaded guilty in DeKalb County Superior Court to one count of Medicaid fraud, one count of false writings, and one count of identity fraud.
Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson sentenced Owens to 10 years, with one year to be served in prison and the remainder on probation. At an April 28 restitution hearing, Johnson also ordered Owens to pay back the Georgia Medicaid program.
According to a release from Carr’s office, “Owens directed the submission of false claims to the Georgia Medicaid program on a repetitive basis,” and instructed her staff to generate patient records containing false information to support fraudulent claims. The funds derived from the scheme were deposited into Owens’ personal bank account.
Carr said Medicaid fraud is theft of taxpayer dollars, and it “undermines a system meant to care for our most vulnerable Georgians.”
“As this case shows, we will not hesitate to hold accountable those who use their positions to exploit our Medicaid program. Rest assured, if you’re a provider attempting to game the system, you will be identified, prosecuted, and ordered to pay back every dollar you stole,” Carr said.
Under Carr’s leadership, the Medicaid Fraud Division has secured more than 90 convictions for Medicaid fraud and the abuse, neglect and exploitation of older adults, resulting in over $19 million in restitution orders in criminal matters, the press release said.
