AURORA, Colo. — An Aurora woman is suspected of billing Medicaid for home health-care services that she didn't provide over about 16 months, resulting in the theft of $372,150, the Colorado Attorney General's Office said on Thursday.
Dejane Reaniece Lattany, owner of Aggie's Angels Care Providers, faces charges in Denver District Court of:
- Medicaid fraud and waste, a Class 3 felony
- Cybercrime, a Class 3 felony
- Altering or destroying documents, a Class 5 felony
- Attempt to influence a public servant, a Class 4 felony
A state investigation found that Lattany routinely filed claims and received Medicaid reimbursement for services that weren't provided. She tried to persuade her clients to sign documents stating that they had received the services, the Attorney General's Office said in a news release.
A review of her company's records showed 319 claims totaling $526,293 between Nov. 9, 2019, and Feb. 17, 2021, for a total of 21,876 clock hours. That number of clock hours would have been impossible to physically perform over the timeframe billed for, according to the arrest affidavit. If she worked 24 hours a day, it would take about 911 days, or approximately 30 months, to work that number of hours.
One of the clients she billed for wasn't a Colorado resident. Another one died on March 22, 2020, while Lattany billed for an entire year's worth of services on Feb. 20 of that year, the affidavit says.
During a phone interview, Lattany admitted to the overbilling issue and said it was an error of her billing company. Investigators later determined that the billing company she cited doesn't exist, according to the affidavit.
Investigators determined that Lattany had billed for 21,058 hours that would have been impossible to work, for a total amount of $372,150.
“Home health care is sometimes a patient’s only option, and taking advantage of a system that helps the most vulnerable Coloradans puts this care in jeopardy,” said state Attorney General Phil Weiser in the news release. “We will continue to hold accountable those who take advantage of the state’s Medicaid system.”
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