Thursday, December 14, 2017

Region 8 busted for $7 million fraud

The Justice Department issued the following statement.


Mental Health Facility to Pay Almost $7 Million to Resolve Fraud Allegations


Jackson, Miss - Region 8 Mental Health Services has agreed to pay the United States government in excess of $6.93 million under the False Claims Act to resolve allegations that it was paid for services that it either did not provide or that were not provided by qualified individuals as part of its preschool Day Treatment program, announced United States Attorney Mike Hurst and Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Today’s announcement is believed to be the largest False Claims Act healthcare settlement in the history of the State of Mississippi.

The Mississippi Department of Mental Health reports that nearly 35,000 Mississippi children and adolescents suffer mental health issues that are “severe and persistent.” Day Treatment is defined by Medicaid as “a behavioral intervention program, provided in the context of a therapeutic milieu, which provides children/adolescents with serious emotional disturbances the intensity treatment necessary to enable them to live in the community.” Day Treatment services covered by Medicaid provide a vital service to the citizens of Mississippi, enabling the State’s youth to live productive lives and grow to become healthy, productive adults.

Region 8, a regional community health center covering Copiah, Lincoln, Madison, Rankin and Simpson Counties, operated a Day Treatment program for preschool age children. During its investigation, the United States Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, discovered that many of the claims submitted for payment from 2004 to 2010 were for services that were either not provided or were not provided by qualified individuals.

“Our children are among the most valuable and vulnerable in our society, and it is imperative that we do all that we can to protect the programs that offer them the services that they need,” says U.S. Attorney Hurst. The Office of the United States Attorney says that it continues to increase its efforts to investigate allegations of fraud and protect the federal programs serving the citizens of this State and country. “The work we do in combatting waste, fraud and abuse in government programs is among some of the most important work this office does, and we will continue to vigorously investigate all allegations of fraud,” says U.S. Attorney Hurst.

Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, adds, “It is imperative that these children receive the behavioral intervention services they need. We will continue to monitor Region 8 Mental Health Services to ensure the organization is providing intervention services by qualified staff and properly billing Medicaid.”

The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, who was a former employee of the company, under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. Such private citizens are referred to as relators. The relator in this case will receive more than $1 million from the recovery announced today. The case is styled United States v. Madison-Simpson-Copiah Mental Health Commission Region 8, et al., 3:09cv441- HTW-LRA (S.D. Miss.).

The investigation and settlement were the result of a coordinated effort by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. There were also significant contributions to the investigation from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The United States government was represented by Assistant United States Attorney Angela Givens Williams, with contribution from Auditor Kim Mitchell. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid will receive a portion of the settlement in proportion to its contribution to the Medicaid fund.

Moving forward, Region 8 will be subject to oversight under its Corporate Integrity Agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General. This agreement is designed to increase accountability and transparency and prevent future fraud and abuse.

The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who are the principals and others responsible? I am part of the public and want to know. After all, part of that money came from me.

Anonymous said...


Where did the money go.....................?

Did someone involved in administration get rich or was it all paid out in bonuses ??????????????????

WOW---no wonder Mississippi is known as the most corrupt state in the nation..............

Anonymous said...

Looking at their website, it's unclear if they are a private company or a government agency. Anyone out there know?

Anonymous said...

Agreed to pay back $6.93 million... where does this money come from and that covers 2004 - 2010. What about 2010 to date?

Anonymous said...

Dave Vann is the Executive Director and Emile Craig is his right hand man

Anonymous said...

I believe Region 8 (and similar regional MH entities) is a non-profit under contract with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. Their funds would have to be Medicare and/or Medicare money to support federal jurisdiction under the False Claims Act. Thus, these are tax dollars.

Anonymous said...

Region 8 is a quasi state entity. They receive funds from the Department of Mental Health and bill Medicare and Medicaid. Dave Vann has been trying to undermine the ED of DMH and take her job by kissing up to the Governor. Vann needs to step down or be fired. Who knows who he reports to?

Anonymous said...

Region eight is a Quasi state entity -it takes money from the Department of mental health and bills Medicare and Medicaid. Who does Dave Van report to? Please read the ridiculous quote attributed to him on their website. Is it true that he has been gunning for Diane Mikula’s job as the head of DMH?

Anonymous said...

"The Mississippi Department of Mental Health reports that nearly 35,000 Mississippi children and adolescents suffer mental health issues that are “severe and persistent.”

That amounts to only one side of Vaught Hemingway Stadium. The "Home" side.

Anonymous said...

Mikula is a joke. She's undermined herself.

Anonymous said...

Isn’t Dave Vann an MLB umpire on the side as well?

Pappy Odaniel said...

Isn't Dave Van the same guy that has a business interest in a used car dealership and a defunct Magnolia Behavioral Health Care with Cecil McCrory?

Anonymous said...

$7M to cronies? and now $7M payback = $14!!!

Anonymous said...

Who is on their Board of Directors? Who do these people answer to?

Anonymous said...

@2:04 yep....they have a decent relationship.

Anonymous said...

Dave Van and Cecil McCrory also lied to Rankin County law to get a man arrested at the Houston Airport and detained over Christmas in 2013. Van was quoted as telling the child(11) of the man locked up that his father had F****d with the wrong people. This was all over a lease purchase of a motor home that Cecil and Van wanted the guy to file an insurance claim on due to wear and tear but wanted him to file it under vandalism.

Larry Reyes v. Delux Auto Sales, Inc

Anonymous said...

Mississippi GOP is always talking about reigning in government spending and cutting the deficit but there has never been a federal grant, handout or payoff they wouldn't gladly accept. It's how all of their do nothing supporters live large.

Anonymous said...

While genuinely mentally ill persons cannot get into Whitfield and the suicidal cannot get much help and people who need drug treatment wait in line, day care is absorbing this much money and Oxford Houses are being funded by our mental health department.

Anonymous said...

How much of this is Taxpayer $$ from any county ?

Anonymous said...

Who is actually paying the money back? No one gets indicted?

Anonymous said...

Dave Van needs to be investigated. He is in the middle of this corruption. As an employee in Brandon, I know he has enriched himself at the expense of tax payers. While we worry about our jobs, Dave just keeps filling his pockets.

Anonymous said...

Look. We know Dave Vann is there. Would the one Vann hater - the one who spent a good part of yesterday posting about him and posing the 'questions' about who he is - do us a favor and take all your comments today and put them into one big post, rather than spreading them out thru your short snippets?

Anonymous said...

7:17: Good morning Dave.

Anonymous said...

Uncovering this "incidence" of corruption is only the tiny tip of the iceberg in Mississippi. How many other pots of money have been falsely drawn down from the feds? Billions. It's why Pickering is ramping up his office.....otherwise they might come calling on him to know who was minding the store. Taxpayer $$$ are POURING out the door.....and yes, with nairn' an indictment. Flacid oversight at best Stacey.

Anonymous said...

Seven million dollars and Dave opts to settle???? Seven million dollars???? WTF Dave? You are responsible Dave. You knew Dave. Didn’t you see the balance sheets? Did you not see that increase in revenue as suspicious? And now you claim ignorance and blame your staff who are afraid to lose their jobs and have been intimidated into unethical behavior. Step down Dave. You are guilty son. And how does a community mental health center have that much money on hand? Is it true that you are compensated over $350k yearly? Speak up Dave.

Anonymous said...

It’s so much deeper than this with Dave Van. He needs to be investigated to the fullest extent. Even as far as looking at how some of the football field and “largest mega-tron in high school sports” was funded.

Wowzer said...

You'd thing somebody done picked up an old piece of mobile home siding off the ground down around Puckett and found a nest of copperheads this story is becoming so venomous!

Anonymous said...

First of all, it’s Van not Vann. He reports to a board of commissioners that are not paid that represent each county. Jason Womack - Rankin, Steve Amos - Copiah, Tillman Bishop - Lincoln, and for the life of me I can’t remember the other two. The 7 mil was a drop in the bucket of the actual amount accused. And yes they were guilty. Dave Van is a greedy, hateful person, who screams and curses out his administration staff, and thinks employees are expendable. It is past time for him to go. I pray he never makes it to DMH. Then the state mental health system is more than screwed.



Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.