WORCESTER- Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s Office has announced the arrest and arraignment of the managers of Union Home Health Care Services, LLC, a Worcester-based group adult foster care (GAFC) company, in a scheme to defraud the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth) of over $1.6 million.
Bernice Codjia, 39, and Augustus Kormah, 66, both of Worcester, were indicted by a Worcester County Grand Jury on November 15, 2023. Union was also indicted in the case. Each defendant faces charges of Medicaid False Claims, with additional charges of Larceny Over $1,200 levied against Codjia and Union.
The MassHealth GAFC program aims to support elderly or disabled MassHealth members in living independently by assisting with daily activities like eating, bathing, and housekeeping. Eligibility for these services requires an assessment and attestation from a registered nurse.
The Attorney General’s Office alleges that Union and its former manager Codjia used fraudulent nursing assessments and forms to enroll MassHealth members and bill for unrendered GAFC services. The indictment includes accusations of billing for periods when members were under the care of other providers in inpatient facilities.
At their arraignment, Codjia and Kormah were ordered to surrender their passports and restricted from leaving the state or country. They are prohibited from billing or supervising billing to MassHealth, and owning, or holding management roles in any MassHealth provider. Additionally, they must avoid contact with former Union employees and MassHealth members who were under Union’s care.
Funding for the Massachusetts Medicaid Fraud Division includes a 75 percent contribution from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, amounting to $5,865,996 for the 2024 fiscal year, and 25 percent from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, totaling $1,955,330 for the same period.
