by Nyamekye Daniel
A Georgia man is facing a fraud charge after law enforcement officials said he stole more than $99,000 from the state’s Medicaid program.
The Georgia attorney general’s office said Gainesville psychologist Dr. Guy Jordan filed claims for therapy sessions that never happened. Jordan was indicted on Medicaid fraud and false statements charges by a Hall County Grand Jury.
“We will not stop protecting taxpayer dollars, and we thank the Hall County Grand Jury for their work on this case,” Attorney General Chris Carr said in a statement. “We hope this indictment sends a clear message that tax dollars will not be abused.”
Indictment documents said Jordan is accused of defrauding the state and federal-funded program between Jan. 5, 2016, to Aug. 9, 2019.
Jordan allegedly backdated existing therapy sessions to create claims for sessions with Medicaid patients he never performed. Many of his minor-aged patients were referred to Jordan by the justice system and pediatricians. Documents showed the claims resulted in $99,389 in overpayments from the public program. Jordan’s largest claim, included in last week’s indictment, was $1,550 in April 2018.
The Georgia Medicaid Fraud Division investigates allegations of fraud by Medicaid providers and abuse and neglect by facilities funded by the Medicaid program. Officials said the division had uncovered several cases where mental health counselors falsely charged the Medicaid program for therapy services. In some instances, suspects offered residents cash or gift cards for their health information for fake claims.
The Georgia Department of Community Health oversees Medicaid. A July 2020 audit of Georgia’s Medicaid and PeachCare found a lack of oversight had made the programs susceptible to fraud. The state audit found about $41 million in program claims were inadequately screened between 2013 and 2019.
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Nyamekye Daniel is a regular contributor to The Center Square. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times.
