Watertown Woman Charged With $1.9 Million Medicaid Fraud: Reports

WATERTOWN, CT — A Watertown woman is facing charges that she defrauded the state's Medicaid program of $1.9 million for treatments that patients did not receive, according to News 12 Connecticut. Catherine Risigo-Wickline, 55, is the owner of Therapy Unlimited.

She is accused of telling employees to bill patients for 10-15-minute treatments regardless of how much treatment they received. She would then submit the claims to Medicaid for reimbursement, News 12 Connecticut reported.

Risigo-Wickline submitted thousands of reimbursements claims to Medicaid for more time than therapists spent with patients, according to The New Haven Register. She is also accused of billing for treatments provided to patients using employees' provider numbers after the employees no longer worked at the practice.

She is being charged with first-degree larceny, one count of health insurance fraud, and third-degree identity theft.

Risigo-Wickline was released on $150,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court March 18.