PRESS ADVISORY

Friday, March 28, 2008

Two Henry County Medical Providers Indicted for Medicaid Fraud

(McDonough)   Attorney General Thurbert Baker announced today that the Henry County Grand Jury has returned Medicaid Fraud indictments against two Medicaid providers in unrelated cases.  Tina Webster-Fabayo owned and operated two mental health service companies, Med Path Professional Services and One Youth House, in Stockbridge, Georgia from late 2004 through 2007.  The indictment alleges that Medicaid sustained a loss of at least $2 million paid to Med Path, resulting from a pattern of fraudulent claims submitted under the provider numbers of several health care professionals for therapy and other mental health services.  Webster-Fabayo’s fraud scheme allegedly included billing for numerous services which were not rendered to patients as well as “double-billing” Medicaid for services provided to adolescents that were paid for through a contract with the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.

The second indictment was against dentist Tuan Q. Tong, who operated a clinic, Great Smiles, in McDonough, Georgia.  The indictment alleges that Tong defrauded Medicaid of over $10,000 in a pattern of fraudulent claims for dental services, primarily restorations, that were not rendered and “up-coding,” or billing for more expensive services than were actually provided during a period from September 2005 through January 2006.

In both cases the charge of Medicaid fraud is a felony which carries a potential prison sentence of up to ten years and a $10,000 fine on each count.  Webster-Fabayo was indicted on two counts of Medicaid Fraud, and Tong was indicted on a single count of Medicaid Fraud.  Baker’s office presented the case to the Henry County Grand Jury on Thursday, March 27, 2008,

Both investigations were conducted by the State Health Care Fraud Control Unit, working with the Program Integrity Office of the Georgia Department of Community Health.  The State Health Care Fraud Control Unit is a task force consisting of personnel from the Attorney General’s Office, Department of Audits and Accounts and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.  Senior Assistant Attorney General Scott A. Smeal will handle the prosecution of Webster-Fabayo, and Assistant Attorney General Jorge Correa will handle the case against Tong.