Connecticut woman charged with health care fraud while awaiting sentence in similar case

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Stratford woman with stealing money from a federally subsidized health care program — after she had been arrested and was waiting to be sentenced in an earlier health care fraud case.

In the first case, Nicole Steiner, 32, pleaded guilty and was convicted on a single health care fraud charge in connection with her operation of Helping Hands Academy in Bridgeport, which advertised that it provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

The business was a participant in the Connecticut Medicaid Program, which subsidizes care for low-income people.

For almost two years beginning in December 2018, Steiner billed Medicaid for more than $500,000 for services that were not performed, according to federal authorities. After state officials detected the fraud and terminated Helping Hands as a Medicaid participant, federal prosecutors said Steiner “made several false statements and submitted an altered document” in an attempt to rescind the termination and get payment for outstanding claims.

Stiner was released on a $50,000 bond to await sentencing after pleading guilty in that case. Medicaid suffered a loss of $551,311.85 as a result of Steiner’s admitted conduct, according to federal authorities.

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that, while waiting to be sentenced, Steiner acted as a silent partner in New Beginnings Children’s Behavioral Health, another company that provided applied behavior analysis services to children diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.

In the second company, prosecutors said Steiner was responsible for billing claims to Medicaid, managing payroll, and recruiting and screening potential employees, and she had access to and used her business partner’s email and other online accounts to operate the company. Steiner and the company allegedly 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, according to federal authorities.

If convicted of the new charge, Steiner faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison, which would have to be imposed consecutively to the sentence she receives in her initial health care fraud case.

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