A Phoenix-area nurse practitioner has been sentenced to three and a half years in state prison for running a behavioral-health clinic that bilked Arizona’s Medicaid program, marking the latest development in a vast probe into bogus treatment programs. Prosecutors and state officials said the case exposed a network that diverted public funds away from vulnerable patients while straining tribal-focused programs.
According to KPNX/12News, Rita Anagho, 54, was sentenced to 3½ years in prison and is currently awaiting sentencing in a similar federal case after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and wire fraud.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Anagho’s company, Tusa Integrated Clinic LLC, enlisted as an AHCCCS provider and submitted bogus claims totaling approximately $69.7 million, some of which were for members who had already deceased. According to the indictment and associated court documents, the scheme primarily targeted the American Indian Health Program, with personnel being told to manufacture therapy notes after government subpoenas arrived…