Latest news with #DaveYost
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Yahoo
Local health care workers charged with Medicaid fraud
[Watch in the player above: What's the difference between Medicare and Medicaid?] COLUMBUS, Ohio (WJW) — Thirteen Ohio health care providers are now charged with felonies for allegedly defrauding Medicaid, billing the federal government a combined more than $180,000 for services they did not provide, according to authorities. The alleged fraud was investigated by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in Attorney General Dave Yost's office, according to a Monday news release. 'Billing for made-up services checks every box for fraud, waste and abuse,' Yost is quoted in the release. 'Medicaid fraud steals from the vulnerable and from the taxpayers who fund the program — and we don't tolerate that in Ohio.' Accused serial shoplifter arrested in local Kohl's parking lot; linked to $51K in stolen merchandise Among those indicted are 12 home health aides and one behavioral health specialist, according to the release. Ten of the providers are in Northeast Ohio: Donna Deaver, 63, of Cleveland, is accused of billing for services performed while the recipient was in Jamaica on a six-month vacation, according to the release. She allegedly used the names of two family members, who were also Medicaid providers, 'telling them the extra income came from a pandemic incentive program,' reads the release. It was a $64,316 loss for Medicaid. Natosha Hall, 32, of Cleveland, is accused of seeking reimbursement for services she allegedly performed while on a trip to Barbados. The loss totaled $1,037. Rachelle Monday, 29, of Cleveland, is accused of falsifying time sheets while working at Warm Living Health Care in Parma. At the time she claimed to be working, she was actually working another job as a parking lot attendant, according to Yost's office. The loss totaled $16,041. Gerald Patterson, 57, of Akron, is accused of falsifying time sheets while working at Enterprise Health Services in Akron, billing for services performed while he was working a second job and traveling out of state, according to Yost's office. The loss totaled $6,184. Tara Patterson, 46, of Akron, admitted to billing multiple times for services she did not provide while out of state, as part of a kickback scheme with the recipient of the services, according to Yost's office. The loss totaled $15,210. Thong Phaphouvaninh, 64, of Orrville, and Bounmy Thammavongsa, 60, of Perrysburg, reportedly confessed to billing for services they claimed to have provided while working for Pinnacle Home Health of Tallmadge, despite being hours away from the recipients at the time. The loss totaled $33,416. Patric Snowden, 49, of Maple Heights, reportedly confessed to billing for services she allegedly provided while she was actually on trips to warm travel destinations in the U.S., as well as the Dominican Republic, France and Jamaica. The loss totaled $2,318. Janay Veal, 37, of Youngstown, is accused of continuing to bill Medicaid for services provided to a recipient even after being removed from the patient's care plan, and on days when the recipient's family member had provided the care. The loss totaled $4,923. Miranda Williams, 30, of Mentor, worked with students as a behavioral health specialist for GuidingPoint of Cleveland, according to the release. She allegedly billed for numerous services though she wasn't actually at her assigned school. Some of her claims also 'overlapped with other claims she submitted at a separate counseling job,' reads the release. The loss totaled $26,915. 6 killed in Howland plane crash identified Erica Gore, 35, of Columbus, allegedly billed for services that had been canceled at the last minute. The recipient's family members showed text messages confirming that Gore had canceled services on 37 days for which she had claimed reimbursement, according to the release. The loss totaled $2,033. Donna Wells, 35, of Cincinnati, allegedly billed for services for recipients who were hospitalized, while Wells was traveling in Georgia and Nevada, according to the release. The loss totaled $3,183. The takedown was part of a nationwide federal crackdown on health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that revealed $14.6 billion in false billings and 15.6 million pills of controlled substances that had been illegally diverted. Authorities seized $245 million in cash, luxury cars and more, according to the release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
25-06-2025
- Politics
Ohio plans swift appeal as court declares private school voucher system unconstitutional
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio signaled on Wednesday that it will swiftly appeal a court ruling declaring the state's private school voucher system unconstitutional, a decision celebrated by public school advocates and condemned by a prominent Christian education organization. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement that he is confident the state will ultimately win. He assured Ohio families that the judge's order allows the program to remain operational as the lawsuit is argued, "so parents don't have to panic or worry about other options while the court process plays out.' Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page granted summary judgment Tuesday in a 2022 lawsuit joined by hundreds of public school districts, known collectively as Vouchers Hurt Ohio, as well as some parents, students and a fair school funding group. The plaintiffs had argued that Ohio's 28-year-old school voucher plan, known as EdChoice, has over time created an unconstitutional system of separately funded private schools and led to resegregation of some districts because mostly nonminority students take advantage of the program. Page, a Democrat, agreed that the program violates a provision of the Ohio Constitution requiring 'a thorough and efficient system of common schools," but rejected claims that it violated the equal protection clause. She used her 47-page decision to recount Ohio's history of funding schools, noting that evidence presented in the case spanned from before statehood to the 2023 state budget bill that established a universal voucher program providing tuition to nonpublic schools, including religious ones, to any family in the state. Page notably rejected the widely used 'school choice' legal argument, which says that voucher programs involve spending decisions made by individual parents, not by the state. The judge found that argument failed in this case. She said families aren't the EdChoice program's final decision-makers: 'The ultimate decision to accept prospective students, and by doing so receive EdChoice funds, lies with the private school.' The Ohio Christian Education Network, the rapidly expanding education arm of the Center for Christian Virtue, expressed strong disagreement with the ruling. 'This decision is poorly reasoned and ignores mountains of previous school choice jurisprudence at both (the) state and federal levels,' Troy McIntosh, the network's executive director, said in a statement. 'The fact is that this decision is not only an improper legal decision, but it could result in almost 100,000 Ohio students being tossed out of the school they have chosen to attend." The Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, praised the ruling as a win for the nearly 90% of K-12 students who attend Ohio's public schools. "Although this legal victory is likely the first step in a much longer process through the appeals courts, the ruling Tuesday represents a huge victory for Ohio's public school educators, school communities, and students who have seen critical resources diverted from our public schools for years to fund private school tuition payments for mostly-wealthy families whose children had never attended their local public schools in the first place,' OEA President Scott DiMauro said in a statement.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ohio plans swift appeal as court declares private school voucher system unconstitutional
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio signaled on Wednesday that it will swiftly appeal a court ruling declaring the state's private school voucher system unconstitutional, a decision celebrated by public school advocates and condemned by a prominent Christian education organization. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement that he is confident the state will ultimately win. He assured Ohio families that the judge's order allows the program to remain operational as the lawsuit is argued, "so parents don't have to panic or worry about other options while the court process plays out.' Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page granted summary judgment Tuesday in a 2022 lawsuit joined by hundreds of public school districts, known collectively as Vouchers Hurt Ohio, as well as some parents, students and a fair school funding group. The plaintiffs had argued that Ohio's 28-year-old school voucher plan, known as EdChoice, has over time created an unconstitutional system of separately funded private schools and led to resegregation of some districts because mostly nonminority students take advantage of the program. Page, a Democrat, agreed that the program violates a provision of the Ohio Constitution requiring 'a thorough and efficient system of common schools," but rejected claims that it violated the equal protection clause. She used her 47-page decision to recount Ohio's history of funding schools, noting that evidence presented in the case spanned from before statehood to the 2023 state budget bill that established a universal voucher program providing tuition to nonpublic schools, including religious ones, to any family in the state. Page notably rejected the widely used 'school choice' legal argument, which says that voucher programs involve spending decisions made by individual parents, not by the state. The judge found that argument failed in this case. She said families aren't the EdChoice program's final decision-makers: 'The ultimate decision to accept prospective students, and by doing so receive EdChoice funds, lies with the private school.' The Ohio Christian Education Network, the rapidly expanding education arm of the Center for Christian Virtue, expressed strong disagreement with the ruling. 'This decision is poorly reasoned and ignores mountains of previous school choice jurisprudence at both (the) state and federal levels,' Troy McIntosh, the network's executive director, said in a statement. 'The fact is that this decision is not only an improper legal decision, but it could result in almost 100,000 Ohio students being tossed out of the school they have chosen to attend." The Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, praised the ruling as a win for the nearly 90% of K-12 students who attend Ohio's public schools. "Although this legal victory is likely the first step in a much longer process through the appeals courts, the ruling Tuesday represents a huge victory for Ohio's public school educators, school communities, and students who have seen critical resources diverted from our public schools for years to fund private school tuition payments for mostly-wealthy families whose children had never attended their local public schools in the first place,' OEA President Scott DiMauro said in a statement.
Toronto Star
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Ohio plans swift appeal as court declares private school voucher system unconstitutional
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio signaled on Wednesday that it will swiftly appeal a court ruling declaring the state's private school voucher system unconstitutional, a decision celebrated by public school advocates and condemned by a prominent Christian education organization. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement that he is confident the state will ultimately win. He assured Ohio families that the judge's order allows the program to remain operational as the lawsuit is argued, 'so parents don't have to panic or worry about other options while the court process plays out.'
Winnipeg Free Press
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ohio plans swift appeal as court declares private school voucher system unconstitutional
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio signaled on Wednesday that it will swiftly appeal a court ruling declaring the state's private school voucher system unconstitutional, a decision celebrated by public school advocates and condemned by a prominent Christian education organization. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost said in a statement that he is confident the state will ultimately win. He assured Ohio families that the judge's order allows the program to remain operational as the lawsuit is argued, 'so parents don't have to panic or worry about other options while the court process plays out.' Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page granted summary judgment Tuesday in a 2022 lawsuit joined by hundreds of public school districts, known collectively as Vouchers Hurt Ohio, as well as some parents, students and a fair school funding group. The plaintiffs had argued that Ohio's 28-year-old school voucher plan, known as EdChoice, has over time created an unconstitutional system of separately funded private schools and led to resegregation of some districts because mostly nonminority students take advantage of the program. Page, a Democrat, agreed that the program violates a provision of the Ohio Constitution requiring 'a thorough and efficient system of common schools,' but rejected claims that it violated the equal protection clause. She used her 47-page decision to recount Ohio's history of funding schools, noting that evidence presented in the case spanned from before statehood to the 2023 state budget bill that established a universal voucher program providing tuition to nonpublic schools, including religious ones, to any family in the state. Page notably rejected the widely used 'school choice' legal argument, which says that voucher programs involve spending decisions made by individual parents, not by the state. The judge found that argument failed in this case. She said families aren't the EdChoice program's final decision-makers: 'The ultimate decision to accept prospective students, and by doing so receive EdChoice funds, lies with the private school.' The Ohio Christian Education Network, the rapidly expanding education arm of the Center for Christian Virtue, expressed strong disagreement with the ruling. 'This decision is poorly reasoned and ignores mountains of previous school choice jurisprudence at both (the) state and federal levels,' Troy McIntosh, the network's executive director, said in a statement. 'The fact is that this decision is not only an improper legal decision, but it could result in almost 100,000 Ohio students being tossed out of the school they have chosen to attend.' The Ohio Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, praised the ruling as a win for the nearly 90% of K-12 students who attend Ohio's public schools. 'Although this legal victory is likely the first step in a much longer process through the appeals courts, the ruling Tuesday represents a huge victory for Ohio's public school educators, school communities, and students who have seen critical resources diverted from our public schools for years to fund private school tuition payments for mostly-wealthy families whose children had never attended their local public schools in the first place,' OEA President Scott DiMauro said in a statement.
