PHOENIX — A former nurse practitioner has been sentenced to serve 3.5 years in an Arizona prison for an health care billing scheme.
Read more US Border Patrol chief Michael Banks is resigning, in latest DHS leadership change
Rita Anagho, 54, was sentenced last week after pleading guilty to charges brought by the attorney general’s office involving the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.
The defendant had operated TUSA Integrated Clinic, which purportedly provided treatment services for alcohol and drug addiction.
Anagho had engaged in activity to bill AHCCCS for services that weren’t provided or billing for members who had died, the attorney general’s office said.
“Anagho’s scheme deprived legitimate Medicaid beneficiaries of critical resources and, by exploiting an already vulnerable population, helped fuel Arizona’s large-scale behavioral health crisis,” the agency wrote in a statement.
Read more Ultimate dinner heist: Canadian officials catch fox stealing mouthful of hot dogs
In 2023, Anagho was one of several providers suspended by state officials during a crack down on fraudulent activity involving AHCCCS.
The defendant has already agreed to pay $55 million in restitution for a separate federal case involving fraudulent AHCCCS claims. Anagho had previously pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. She’s awaiting sentencing in the federal case.
Anagho’s nursing license was revoked last year.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes noted how her office has obtained over 100 indictments since 2023 for alleged schemes related to health care fraud.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
Read more Senators approve withholding their own pay during government shutdowns