MISSISSIPPI MEDICAID RECIPIENTS AGREE TO PAY OVER $170,000 TO RESOLVE FALSE CLAIMS ACT ALLEGATIONS OF HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FRAUD

Jackson, MS - Patrick A. Lemon, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, announced that former Medicaid recipients, Rajwinder Kaur and Kawaldeep Singh; Narinder Kaur and Prabhdeep Momi; Bobby and Priyalpreet Babber; Gurinder and Mehaknoor Babber; and Navdeep Basra, have agreed to pay a collective total of $173,627.00 to resolve allegations that they knowingly falsified income to unlawfully create eligibility for Mississippi Medicaid health care benefits for their dependents.

The Medicaid Program is a state and federally funded health benefit program intended to assist low-income individuals and families. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid (MDOM) is the single state agency responsible for administering health care benefits for eligible, low-income individuals in Mississippi.

According to the United States, despite Medicaid's low-income requirement, these recipients, who were either officers, registered agents, members or owners of convenience stores, gas stations, liquor stores, restaurants or other businesses, falsely represented on various Mississippi Medicaid health care benefit applications and renewals that their respective household derived a nominal amount of income from employment. As such, the United States alleges that they misrepresented their earned income, causing the MDOM to pay health care coverage benefits to which they were not entitled.

Individuals who fraudulently obtain Medicaid benefits that they are not entitled to divert funds meant to pay for services for legitimate enrollees, including the elderly and disabled," stated Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. "Working with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will continue to investigate Medicaid enrollment fraud schemes to protect the integrity of this vital, taxpayer-funded program.

These cases were investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deidre Colson and Keesha Middleton for the Southern District of Mississippi handled the cases.

Claims resolved by settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.