Jacquelyn Farrish, 61, of Danville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to health care fraud on Tuesday after admitting to fraudulently submitting nearly 10,000 hours of personal care service claims to Medicaid. The fraudulent activities led to a loss of over $116,000 to the government program, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia announced.
Farrish was married to A.L., a Medicaid recipient who had been receiving agency-directed care services. However, Farrish exploited the system by applying for consumer-directed care services in October 2018. She listed A.L. as the paid personal care attendant, even though he did not live in Danville at the time. Consumer-directed care programs allow individuals to hire their own attendants, but Farrish took advantage of this by submitting fraudulent timesheets, using A.L.’s personal information, and claiming services that were never rendered.
From October 2018 to February 2023, Farrish submitted false claims for 9,819 hours of personal care services, resulting in the $116,536 loss to Medicaid. Farrish admitted to the fraudulent actions and waived her right to indictment, ultimately pleading guilty to one count of health care fraud.
The case highlights the risks of misusing consumer-directed care services for personal gain and the continued efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to crack down on health care fraud schemes.
