HARTFORD, CT (WFSB) — A Hartford social worker is facing charges, accused of cheating Medicaid out of thousands of dollars.
Kathleen Service, 63, was charged with first-degree larceny, health insurance fraud and identity theft in the first degree, and third-degree identity theft on Monday.
Authorities said Service is a master’s level social worker and principal of Unlimited Family Services, LLC, an independent counseling practice in Hartford.
In December of 2017, Dept. of Social Service (DSS) had notified all masters level social workers, including Service, that they were no longer eligible to bill the Medicaid program for counseling.
In July 2018, DSS said it noticed that Service had continued to bill the Medicaid program using the credentials of other eligible enrolled providers, who were unaware of such billing.
Inspectors later revealed that Service was using credentials of three other providers to collect more than $151,960 for 1,722 claims for counseling she could not bill Medicaid for in her own name.
Service was arrested and released on a $100,000 bond. She is expected to appear in court Oct. 17.