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Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: News Articles => Topic started by: okarol on October 30, 2008, 12:06:15 AM
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Former Md. Worker Admits Stealing From Kidney Program
Associated Press
Wednesday, October 29, 2008; 5:01 PM
A former Maryland state employee has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $1.8 million from a state health department kidney disease program.
Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler says the former employee, Donna McRae Lam, took the money from the state health department's Kidney Disease Program in a scheme that lasted more than a decade. Gansler's office says Lam added 14 fictitious health care providers to the program's computer system and filed 917 fake claims for payment.
The scheme was discovered after employees of First Mariner Bank questioned frequent ATM cash transactions from a business account in the name of one of the fake health care providers and contacted state officials.
Sentencing is scheduled Feb. 11 for Lam on the felony theft charge. She pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
Gansler said his office is seeking to recover the stolen funds and Secretary of Health John M. Colmers said changes have been made to prevent such thefts in the future.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/29/AR2008102902910_pf.html