Laurel Woman Defrauds DC Medicaid Of $373K, Heads To Prison: DOJ

LAUREL, MD — Officials said a judge on May 12 sentenced a Laurel woman to 13 months in prison. Prosecutors accused the suspect, 52-year-old Folashade Adufe Horne, of defrauding the Washington, D.C. Medicaid program of $373,564.

Horne pleaded guilty to health care fraud in February, an incident report noted. The press release added that Horne must repay Medicaid in full and face a $267,567 forfeiture money judgment.

Authorities explained that Horne worked at four different home health agencies where she helped Medicaid patients perform daily activities like bathing. The U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Horne falsely reported extra services on her timesheet, meaning her employers overbilled Medicaid.

Horne charged for her home health duties when she was actually at her full-time job at a Washington, D.C. hospital, the DOJ advised. The accused woman reported working 20+ hours in a day more than 200 times, the write-up mentioned. Horne also claimed that she worked 32 hours in a day on 28 occasions, officials continued. The report informed that Horne additionally billed for work in the District of Columbia on days when she was not even in the United States.

The Maryland woman was the sixth personal care aid to be sentenced on charges of defrauding Medicaid since October 2019, the prosecution indicated. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services asked anybody with information on health care fraudsters to call (800) HHS‑TIPS [(800) 447-8477].

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