Hartford Home Healthcare Agency Settles Medicaid Fraud Case: Tong

HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford-based home healthcare agency has agreed to a large settlement to pay back the state and federal governments for violating Medicaid regulations.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. attorneys for Connecticut announced Thursday that Home Care VNA LLC and its current and former owners, Shakira Lubega and Constant Ogutt, have entered into a civil settlement agreement with the federal and state governments.

According to Tonig, they will pay $361,520 to resolve allegations they were paid for home health care services that violated Medicaid regulations relating to plans of care.

Home Care VNA is a home health agency with offices at 330 Main St. in Hartford.

Tong said Lubega is the current owner of Home Care VNA and Ogutt is a former, part owner. Lubega and Ogutt are married, he said.

According to Tong, the regulations of Connecticut state agencies require, as a condition of payment for home health care services, that each patient has a plan of care.

In addition, he said, the plan of care is signed by a licensed practitioner, the plan of care is signed within 21 days after the episode of care begins, and a new or modified plan of care is reviewed, revised, and signed every 60 days.

The United States and the State of Connecticut contended Home Care VNA, Lubega, and Ogutt submitted or caused to be submitted claims for reimbursement to Connecticut Medicaid for home health care services for patients who had unsigned plans of care or had no plans of care at all.

To resolve the state and federal governments' False Claims Act allegations, Home Care VNA, Lubega, and Ogutt have agreed to pay $361,520.

This, Tong said, covers the time period from Aug. 1, 2018, through March 26, 2020.

“Approved care plans ensure that patients receive, and Medicaid covers, appropriate and necessary care. As a licensed Medicaid provider, Home Care VNA was required to know and follow these basic rules. We will continue to act in coordination with our federal and state partners to protect our public healthcare investments,” said Tong in a statement Thursday, Dec. 5.

In 2022, Home Care VNA, Lubega, and Ogutt paid $630,000 to resolve Medicaid fraud allegations in Massachusetts.

For the full federal announcement of the settlement, click on this link.