Credit: Marcelo Leal / Unsplash.com
The state's Attorney General investigated the matter.
According to the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Medicaid Fraud Control Section, based in Norristown, one Philadelphia man is facing charges due to fraudulently filing timecards via a home care business in Horsham.
Chasir Vaughan, 25, of the 6500 block of Marsden St., in Philadelphia, worked with Excel Companion Care, located at 400 Horsham Road, Suite 130 in Horsham. During that time, he was also employed with All American Home Care, located at 3231 N. Second St., Philadelphia.
According to an investigation with the OAG, Vaughan, who worked as a personal care attendant, “caused claims to be submitted for Medical Assistance for payment of services that did not occur. Work for two different private clients were to receive personal services from Vaughan, but times and dates were overlapping, forcing a deeper investigation by the OAG.
The affidavit of probable cause released by the OAG said that the two patients were to receive personal assistant services through the Community Health Choices (CHC) Waiver Program. The services are designed to keep patients from being placed in an institutional setting or nursing home. A personal assistant is to assist with activities of daily living, said the release.
An assistant is then instructed to submit records to the agencies. In this case, Vaughan submitted records to both Excel Companion Care and All American, both of which paid him via direct deposit check based on the number of hours he reported, said the OAG.
Upon reviewing records, the OAG discovered that Vaughan “reported providing services” to two patients on “overlapping dates and times from Jan. 11, 2023 through May 20, 2023” with both Excel Companion Care and All American submitting claims that were paid for such work.
During that time, the OAG criminal complaint said, Vaughan reported at least 652.75 hours that he “could not have performed due to overlapping times” between the two persons. In total, the OAG said that “at least $14,047.18” was paid for services that were not rendered.
Vaughan is charged with five felony counts of Medicaid fraud, including fraud of medical assistant claims, submitting claims for a service not rendered to patient, submitting claim with false information, submitting a claim with services not rendered by provider, as well as five felony counts of tampering with a public record.
Vaughan was released on a bond signature bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 19 at 11:15 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Todd Stephens.
