BURLINGTON, N.C. (NCN News) — Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced a settlement with White Oak Manor of Burlington over allegations that the nursing home hired an unqualified person as a nurse and then billed Medicaid for services she provided.
The facility will pay $98,474 to the state, including $49,237 in Medicaid restitution.
“If you’re providing health care to North Carolinians, you better be qualified to do the job,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “I’m grateful to NCDHHS for identifying this case and referring it to our office so we could protect North Carolinians’ care and their taxpayer dollars.”
“We take our responsibility to prevent, detect, and address fraud, waste, and abuse seriously,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “By working closely with the Attorney General’s Office to catch unqualified personnel, we ensure that taxpayer dollars are protected and resources go directly toward the safe, quality health care North Carolinians deserve.”
Nieasha Jones was hired as a nurse without a nursing license, training or experience. Jones worked 54 shifts over three months, interacting with residents and providing care despite not having the required qualifications or license. The facility then billed Medicaid for services provided to residents, including services provided by Jones.
The case was investigated by the Medicaid Investigations Division (MID) of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office after a referral from the Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR) within the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The civil claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no judicial determination or admission of liability.