Milwaukee private-duty nurse charged with over $28K in Medicaid fraud

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) --- A private-duty nurse in southern Wisconsin was charged for alleged fraud and theft of over $28,000 in Medicaid fraud, according to Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul Wednesday, Nov. 11.

Officials say Paige O'Connor, 49 of Milwaukee, was  billing Medicaid for times she did not work. 

According to the criminal complaint, a mother living in southern Wisconsin hired O'Connor to care for her "very young child" who suffered from "severe medical issues". 

O'Connor's job was to provide in-home nursing care to the child, which was paid for by the Wisconsin Medicaid Program, according to DOJ officials.

The mother received benefit summaries from Wisconsin Medicaid and realized O'Connor was billing Medicaid for times she did not work. A news release said, in one example, O'Connor took a trip to Florida. After she returned, officials say O'Connor billed Medicaid $510 for each day of her vacation, claiming she was providing in-person nursing care to the child. 

DOJ says the complaint alleges that O'Connor repeatedly reported false work hours to Medicaid and stole over $28,000 from the Medicaid program.

"The Wisconsin Department of Justice's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit protect the Medicaid program and folks who rely on Medicaid from unscrupulous conduct," Kaul said. "Thank you  to the members of that unit whose work brought this case together." 

The investigation was conducted by the Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Daniel Lennington.