| TRENTON
- Attorney General Stuart Rabner and Division
of Criminal Justice Director Gregory A.
Paw announced that a Hudson County corporation
has pleaded guilty to over-billing the Medicaid
program by more than $33,800 for more expensive
medical supplies than the corporation actually
provided to patients.
According to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Greta Gooden Brown, T-N-T Medical Supply
Inc., located on Bergenline Avenue in West
New York, pleaded guilty late Friday before
Superior Court Judge Camille M. Kenney in
Hudson County to second-degree health care
claims fraud.
The
corporation and its former owner, Julio
Anthony Munoz, 41, of Upper Montclair, were
indicted by a state grand jury on Oct. 5,
2005 on the second-degree health care claims
fraud charge and an additional charge of
third-degree Medicaid fraud. Munoz has applied
to the Pre-trial Intervention Program and
has agreed to pay about $67,700 in fines
and restitution.
T-N-T,
through its attorney, admitted Friday that
it fraudulently submitted more than 200
inflated claims, overbilling the Medicaid
program by about $33,840. An investigation
by the Division of Criminal Justice determined
that Munoz and T-N-T billed the Medicaid
program for the most expensive surgical
support stockings provided to Medicaid patients
when, in fact, they were providing patients
with the least expensive stockings. Surgical
stockings, which are prescribed for patients
with circulatory problems and related medical
conditions, can be billed in amounts ranging
from $24 to $120. Some claims included multiple
pairs of stockings.
The
case was handled by State Investigator William
Rodriguez and Deputy Attorney General Riza
Dagli.
The
Medicaid program, which is funded by the
state and federal governments, provides
health care services and prescription drugs
to persons who may not otherwise be able
to afford such services and medicines.
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