Recent allegations have surfaced, targeting Medicaid fraud in the provision of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy services for children with autism. This development raises serious concerns among families relying on these vital services.
Christina Coleman has reported an increase in fraudulent billing practices. Mother Lindsey Chaney and Kelsey Bennett from the Autism Families Alliance discuss the profound impact these fraudulent activities have on families.
A Texas mental health clinic owner, Kevin D. Curry, 64, from Frisco, was recently convicted by a federal jury. Prosecutors accused him of orchestrating a $26 million scheme to defraud the military’s health care program, TRICARE. Part of the proceeds allegedly funded luxury purchases, including a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck worth over $100,000.
Curry faced charges of health care fraud, illegal kickbacks, and engaging in transactions with criminally derived funds. Federal prosecutors presented that Curry manipulated TRICARE, which serves active-duty servicemembers, retirees, and families, by charging for unnecessary transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy that was often never provided.
Evidence at trial showed Curry operated mental health clinics in Texas and Florida. He reportedly paid over $5.5 million in illegal kickbacks, coaxing servicemembers and their families into agreeing to TMS therapy they didn’t qualify for or receive. Curry also allegedly misrepresented himself as a doctor, using credentials of licensed doctors without their permission to submit false claims to TRICARE, directing employees to falsify medical records for fraudulent billing.
Authorities stated that Curry’s clinics submitted over $26 million in false or kickback-tainted claims, with TRICARE paying about $17 million. Prosecutors say he laundered the funds on luxury hotel stays, a casino-themed party, and the gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck.
“This defendant exploited a critical health care program serving active-duty servicemembers and their families, diverting taxpayer dollars to bankroll personal luxuries,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald in a statement.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould accused Curry of taking advantage of the trust servicemembers and their families placed in the system. Charges include fabricating medical records, stealing doctors’ identities, and profits from kickback-tainted money.
Curry is awaiting sentencing and could face a maximum of 10 years in prison for each of the nine counts. A federal district court judge will sentence him considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.