ST. LOUIS—Camille S. Childress, 41, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding Missouri Medicaid with false home healthcare claims.
Childress was also ordered to repay $174,496 to Missouri Medicaid. Childress allegedly submitted fraudulent documents to enroll her home healthcare company, Inspiring Angels LLC, with Missouri Medicaid. The paperwork falsely claimed that someone else owned the company. Childress was trying to conceal her ownership due to a 2012 criminal conviction that would have disqualified her from participating.
According to the courts, Childress then submitted fraudulent claims to Missouri Medicaid seeking reimbursement for home healthcare services that were never provided. On numerous occasions, clients were in the hospital and could not have received any healthcare services at home. On other occasions, Childress allegedly submitted claims when the company did not have any timesheet records or documentation of the services. Missouri Medicaid paid $174,496 for claims submitted in 2021 and 2022.
“Healthcare providers who try to enrich themselves by submitting false claims to Missouri Medicaid not only drain taxpayer funds but also undermine the integrity of safety net programs designed to provide services to patients who genuinely need them,” said Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Today’s sentencing shows the unwavering commitment of HHS OIG and our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud. We are proud of our work to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes that put both patients and public resources at risk.”
Childress pleaded guilty in March to one count of healthcare fraud.