Former SCIL worker pleads guilty to Medicaid fraud

A former Southwest Center for Independent Living attendant pleaded guilty this month to four counts of Medicaid fraud.

Angela Deanne Adams, of Greene County, on Oct. 4 was ordered to complete five years of supervised probation and pay restitution of $3,342, as well as court costs and fees, according to an Oct. 18 news release from Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's office.

Adams pleaded guilty to causing claims to be submitted to Medicaid for personal care services that wouldn't have been provided, as records show she was working elsewhere during the times she said she was providing those services. The attorney general's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, which conducted the investigation, also found Adams caused claims to be submitted to Medicaid showing she provided in-home services for patients who were hospitalized.

Each of the counts is a Class C felony. However, Adams' sentence is suspended as long as she completes her probation and pays restitution and other costs, the release said.

In September 2011, SCIL agreed to pay $43,503 in civil penalties and costs related to the investigation. Though the investigation revealed the organization knew or should have known about Adams, Koster issued a statement thanking SCIL for its cooperation in the case, according to Springfield Business Journal archives.