The Office of the Attorney General of Texas (“OAG”) has secured justice for Texas taxpayers by investigating and prosecuting Dennis Damian Anugwom, owner of ambulance services company Union Healthcare Services. Anugwom was sentenced to 16 years of incarceration by a Harris County District Court and ordered to pay $388,648 in restitution for his criminal involvement in a Medicaid fraud scheme. Anugwom was previously convicted of first-degree felony Healthcare Fraud.
Anugwom’s scheme, conducted through Union Healthcare Services and operating as City EMS, employed fraudulent billing practices including upcoding, unbundling, and billing for services that were either medically unnecessary or not conducted. Anugwom also engaged in illegal kickbacks and money laundering.
The case was investigated by Investigator Susanne Nink, Investigative Auditor Annette Spencer-Benton, and Captain Stacey Overbay of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, in cooperation with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant Attorney General Joni Vollman prosecuted the case in partnership with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, with assistance from Assistant Attorney General Lesleigh Morton and Legal Assistant Nicole Cloutier.
The OAG’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is steadfast in ensuring that those who manipulate our healthcare system for personal gain are brought to justice by aggressively pursuing those who engage in healthcare fraud, safeguarding taxpayer funds, and defending the integrity of essential healthcare programs. In the last fiscal year, the MFCU recovered more than $236 million in settlements and judgments directly benefiting the Texas taxpayer.
In Texas, Medicaid costs taxpayers $48 billion per year. Federal and industry authorities estimate that Medicaid fraud schemes comprise up to ten percent of the costs of the Medicaid program, making Medicaid fraud a $4 billion problem in Texas.
The MFCU receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $20,944,200 for fiscal year 2023. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $6,981,395, is funded by the State of Texas. For every dollar of state funding, the OAG’s MFCU recovers more than 33 dollars for taxpayers. If you suspect Medicaid fraud or abuse, or patient neglect, please report it by visiting the OAG’s website.
Original source can be found here.
