A Virginia behavioral health center owner was sentenced to seven years in prison for orchestrating a $2.2 million billing fraud scheme., the Justice Department said Oct. 25.
Maria Kokolis, 48, owned Williamsburg, Va.-based Pamisage, where she defrauded health insurers including Virginia Medicaid by billing for in-person therapy for services like monitoring client data or sending messages, the department said. She billed insurers for patients who were traveling, hospitalized, or had never actually enrolled in her program, and she also billed for services while she was on vacation out of the country.
Ms. Kokolis received at least $2.2 million in fraudulent payments, the department said.