Stratford Woman Sentenced For Health Care Fraud Schemes: Feds

STRATFORD, CT — A former Stratford woman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison in connection with health-care fraud schemes, according to officials.

Nicole Steiner, formerly known as Nicole Balkas, 33, was also sentenced Tuesday to three years of supervised release, following the prison term, U.S. States Attorney for Connecticut Vanessa Roberts announced.

Steiner owned and operated Helping Hands Academy, LLC, in Bridgeport, which provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and was as a participating provider in the Connecticut Medicaid Program, according to officials.

“From December 2018 to October 2020, Steiner submitted and caused to be submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for applied behavior analysis services that were purportedly provided to Medicaid clients,” officials wrote in a news release. “She submitted claims for dates of service when no applied behavior analysis services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims, and she inflated the number of hours for certain claims even when applied behavior analysis had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims. Steiner also submitted false Medicaid claims in 2020 using a former employee’s name and performing provider number.”

After the Connecticut Department of Social Services, which administers the Medicaid program in Connecticut, terminated Helping Hands Academy as a provider, Steiner made “several false statements and submitted an altered document to DSS in an effort to rescind the termination and to receive payment for previously submitted claims,” according to officials.

Officials said Medicaid suffered a loss of more than $500,000 as a result of Steiner’s admitted conduct.

Steiner pleaded guilty on April 28, 2021, to one count of health care fraud related to the scheme.

After her guilty plea, and while she was released on bond awaiting sentencing, Steiner was a “silent partner in another company that provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with ASD called New Beginnings Children’s Behavioral Health LLC, according to the news release.

“Steiner was responsible for billing claims to Medicaid, managing payroll, and recruiting and screening potential employees, and she and had access to and used her business partner’s email and other online accounts to operate the company,” officials wrote. “Steiner and the company engaged in health care fraud by billing Medicaid for thousands of dollars in services not rendered and, in particular, billing for services not rendered by Steiner.”

Steiner was arrested on May 2, and she pleaded guilty on July 29 to a second count of health care fraud.

While released on bond and living in New Jersey awaiting sentencing in both cases, Steiner “submitted false Medicaid applications indicating that she lived in Bridgeport in order to get Medicaid coverage for her and her children,” according to officials.

Steiner was remanded to custody at the conclusion of the sentencing proceeding, officials said.

Steiner was also ordered to pay $505,955.56 in total restitution, according to officials.

Anyone who suspects health care fraud is encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.