Pennsylvania Medicaid Fraud: Office Manager Sentenced in $1.76M Scheme
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office recently secured a prison sentence against a former office manager involved in a substantial Medicaid fraud scheme tied to a Montgomery County home care provider. Barbara Thomas, 46, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 9 to 23 months in prison followed by four years of probation after pleading guilty to felony counts including Medicaid fraud, theft by deception, and corrupt organizations. As part of the sentencing, Thomas must pay $1.39 million in restitution, jointly and severally with her co-defendants, to help compensate for the financial losses to the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program.
The fraud stemmed from the operations of ComfortZone Home Health Care, an approved Medicaid provider, which submitted billing claims for personal care services that were never performed between 2020 and 2023. Investigators found that Thomas, serving as both office manager and case manager, played a central role in advancing the multi-year scheme that diverted taxpayer funds intended for vulnerable Pennsylvanians. More than a dozen others connected with the scheme have pleaded guilty, and additional defendants are awaiting sentencing. The case reflects ongoing efforts by the Pennsylvania Medicaid Fraud Control Section, in collaboration with the FBI, to prosecute unlawful billing practices and protect healthcare programs from abuse.
