FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
January 15, 2016
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
AG STRANGE ANNOUNCES CONVICTION OF OWNER OF MACON
COUNTY COUNSELING SERVICE FOR MEDICAID FRAUD
(MONTGOMERY)–Attorney General Luther Strange announced the conviction
today of the owner of a Tuskegee counseling service for billing the Alabama Medicaid
Agency for services that were not provided to Medicaid recipients. Lula Jones Bridges,
53, of Notasulga, is the owner of Hope for Families and Community Services, a
nonprofit counseling service. Bridges pleaded guilty today before Montgomery County
Circuit Judge J.R. Gaines to one count of Medicaid fraud, a Class C felony. No
sentencing date has been set.
The case was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control
Unit, after an audit by the Alabama Medicaid Agency’s Program Integrity Division was
initiated because Hope for Families was one of the state’s top billers of psychology
services during 2013. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’s investigation found that there
was no documentation to support most of the services billed to Medicaid by Bridges,
that patient sign-in sheets and progress notes had been fabricated, and that counseling
sessions were billed for clients who were out-of-state during the alleged dates of
service. In addition, many parents were told that they were enrolling their children in
an after-school program and had never authorized Bridges to perform or bill for
behavioral counseling services.
Medicaid Fraud Control Unit prosecutors contend that more than $500,000 of the
billings submitted by Bridges to the Medicaid Agency between November 2011 and
October 2014 were fraudulent or without proper documentation. Judge Gaines has
scheduled a restitution hearing for January 29 to determine the amount of loss to the
Medicaid Agency.
“This case involved an outrageous deception of both clients and people who
were claimed as clients, as well as an appalling theft of public funds from the Alabama
Medicaid Agency,” said Attorney General Strange. “I am pleased that we have been
able to bring this criminal to justice and will fight to recover the taxpayers’ stolen
money.”
Attorney General Strange commended his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for its
investigation and prosecution of this case, and thanked the Medicaid Agency’s Program
Integrity Division.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
