Man Arrested in $400,000 Medicaid Fraud Case
Attorney General Ashley Moody News Release
Man Arrested in $400,000 Medicaid Fraud Case
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit announced the arrest of a man who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a state taxpayer-funded program. MFCU charged Carlos Cabrera with Medicaid provider fraud. Cabrera ran Angels on Earth, a prescribed pediatric extended care business, and submitted fraudulent claims for services that should have been provided to children with medically-complex conditions, bilking Florida Medicaid out of more than $400,000.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This defendant used vulnerable children and their families for his own financial gain by overbilling and stealing from a taxpayer-funded program. My Medicaid Fraud Control Unit uncovered this devious scheme and will now ensure this defendant faces justice.”
According to an investigation by Attorney General Moody’s MFCU, Cabrera worked as the administrator for Angels on Earth PPEC. PPEC businesses provide continual care for children with medically-complex conditions in a nonresidential setting. Cabrera, the person responsible for all Medicaid PPEC billing, billed a nearly 100% attendance rate to get the maximum payment per patient despite knowing that not everyone attended every day.
Further analysis of Medicaid recipient data and the Angels on Earth Daily Census Reports showed that services were not rendered for up to 34% of the claims submitted for reimbursement. The overall pattern of billing and submitting claims to Medicaid, despite children being absent, demonstrates an intent to maximize billing without regard for accuracy.
Cabrera faces one count of Medicaid provider fraud, a first-degree felony. The case will be prosecuted by Attorney General Moody's Office of Statewide Prosecution.
The Florida Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigates allegations of patient abuse, neglect, and exploitation in facilities receiving payments under the Medicaid program. Additionally, the MFCU investigates and prosecutes providers that intentionally defraud the state's Medicaid program through fraudulent billing practices. Medicaid fraud essentially steals from Florida's taxpayers.
The Florida MFCU is funded through a grant totaling $30,219,404 for Federal Fiscal Year 2023, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General. The Federal Share of these funds is 75% totaling $22,664,556. The State Matching Share of these funds is 25% totaling $7,554,848 and is funded by Florida.
