Hundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program
This undated photo shows Autumn Nelson. A member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana, Nelson was recruited to a treatment center for alcohol addiction in the Phoenix area, but was left on the street after she questioned how it was being run during a widespread investigation into fraudulent billing at such places in Arizona.
The fraudulent charges were submitted mostly through the American Indian Health Program, a Medicaid health plan that allows providers to bill directly for reimbursement of services rendered to American Indian and Alaska Native tribal members. Non-medical transport companies that reportedly have taken Native Americans from their reservations to phony programs should also be investigated, said Arizona State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie, a Democrat and Navajo who lives on the reservation. The New Mexico Attorney General announced a “Don’t be taken for a Ride” campaign, warning people not to accept transportation from strangers to go to Arizona rehab centers.
AHCCCS instituted tighter controls, including a six-month moratorium for enrolling new behavioral health clinics for Medicaid billing. Site visits and background checks with fingerprinting are now required for high-risk behavioral health providers when they enroll or revalidate."There were a lot of rules relaxed that allowed those scammers to get in,” said Dr. John Molina, health service director for the federally funded Native Health, an Indian health center in Phoenix.
Court records don't say whether patients were Native Americans, only that they were brought to the facility just once and billings were subsequently made in their names up to 90 days. Billings were also made for dead people and prisoners.
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Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigationsHundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program
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Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigationsHundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program.
Leer más »
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigationsHundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program
Leer más »
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigationsHundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program.
Leer más »
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigationsHundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program.
Leer más »
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigationsHundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program.
Leer más »