Staff Report
AUGUSTA – Maine Senate Republicans renew calls for transparency and independent review following the arrest of six people for health care fraud conspiracy.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, a federal grand jury indicted the owner and five employees of Community Home Health Care LLC, a licensed South Portland personal care agency, for allegedly submitting false visit records for services that were never provided.
Prosecutors allege that since 2020 the agency billed MaineCare more than $600,000 for services to a single client. Two of the defendants are also charged with obstructing the investigation. The case was investigated by federal agents with the FBI, the HHS Office of Inspector General and other agencies, working alongside Maine’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
“Republicans supported an independent review of MaineCare to safeguard public funds and catch exactly this kind of fraud. Democrat leaders went so far as to block my proposal to do just that from even receiving a public hearing,” said Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart, R-Aroostook. “We’re at a crossroads: If nothing changes in Augusta, we can expect this type of fraud to continue to run rampant.”
“The state stopped paying this agency months ago, but stopping payments isn’t accountability. Credible fraud allegations shouldn’t sit for months or years,” said Assistant Senate Republican Leader Matt Harrington, R-York. “The Legislature needs to know how many referrals DHHS makes, what happens to them and whether our investigators can keep up with the caseload.”
Senate Republicans are calling for:
- An independent third-party review and audit of the MaineCare program focused on waste, fraud and abuse.
- A full public accounting from the Department of Health and Human Services of when concerns about this agency were first raised and what actions were taken.
- A status report on other MaineCare providers currently under payment suspension or referred for investigation.
