FLORIDA —A Florida woman working as a personal care services provider has been arrested for allegedly submitting forged doctor referrals and fraudulently billing Medicaid for nearly $400,000.
Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) has announced the arrest of Keondra Vernessa Burch, who reportedly owned Divinely Chosen Services, a Medicaid provider of personal care services.
According to Moody, with the assistance of the Ocoee Police Department, an investigation found that Burch submitted fraudulent documents for nearly three years, causing a loss of nearly $400,000 to Medicaid.
“This fraudster forged medical records to steal nearly $400,000 from taxpayers. My Medicaid fraud investigators uncovered this scheme and stopped it,” said Moody.
“Now the defendant will have to answer for his crime in a court of law.”
According to Moody, for Medicaid recipients to qualify for personal care services, a referring physician must deem the care medically necessary and submit appropriate documentation. However, the MFCU investigation allegedly revealed that Burch and the company repeatedly submitted forged referrals from doctors so Burch could bill for providing unnecessary services.
From January 2020 through November 2022, Burch submitted fraudulent documents and billed for these services resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars to the Medicaid program, said the MFCU.
Burch faces one count of Medicaid provider fraud, a first-degree felony.
