Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TODAY’S YOUTH LLC and its owners, Maurice Stuckey and Joyce Anderson, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments in which they will pay $273,000 to resolve allegations that they caused overpayments to be paid by the Connecticut Medicaid Program.
Today’s Youth is a healthcare organization that provides in-home family therapy and counseling in the greater Hartford area. The government’s allegations against Today’s Youth, Stuckey and Anderson arise out of improper billing for behavioral health services.
Today’s Youth is enrolled in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (“CMAP”), which includes Connecticut’s Medicaid program, as a “Behavioral Health Clinician Group.” The State of Connecticut Department of Social Services (“DSS”) contracted with Today’s Youth to provide behavioral health services to Medicaid beneficiaries. DSS does not allow licensed behavioral health clinicians in independent practice to submit claims for services provided by unlicensed individuals, even if the individuals are working toward licensure and supervised by a licensed individual. The DSS Provider Manual for Licensed Behavioral Health Clinicians in Independent Practice explicitly states, “The department shall not pay for…services provided by anyone other than the provider.”
The government alleges that despite clear guidance from the Medicaid program, Today’s Youth, Stuckey and Anderson routinely submitted claims to Medicaid for behavioral health services as if a licensed behavioral health clinician performed the services when, in fact, an unlicensed provider performed the services. As a result, Medicaid paid Today’s Youth for behavioral health services that the U.S. and Connecticut would not have paid for had they known unlicensed individuals provided the services.
To resolve its liability, Today’s Youth will pay $273,000 to the federal and state governments for conduct occurring between January 1, 2014 and September 1, 2019.
This matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne F. Thidemann and by Assistant Attorney General Michael E. Cole of the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.
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