Attorney General Dana Nessel Charges Delta County Woman With 9 Counts of Medicaid Fraud

DELTA COUNTY – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced that Nicole Stouffer from Rock, Michigan, is facing charges of Medicaid fraud. The charges, which are all four-year felonies, stem from an investigation into a complaint against Stouffer. She was approved by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to receive home help services and chose a family member as her provider. Logs were submitted to DHHS, claiming that the services were provided and resulting in approximately $8,000 being paid.

However, the family member who was supposed to provide the services filed a complaint, denying any agreement to serve as a provider and stating that no services were rendered. This prompted a serious investigation by the Attorney General’s office.

Attorney General Nessel emphasized the importance of programs like the Home Help Program, which aim to assist people in staying in their homes rather than moving to costly long-term care facilities. Exploiting such programs is considered a serious offense.

Stouffer was arraigned and given a $50,000 cash or surety bond. She is scheduled for further court appearances, including a pre-exam conference on July 6th and a preliminary exam on July 13th.

The case is being handled by the Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division, which is responsible for investigating Medicaid fraud in Michigan. The division receives a significant portion of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the State of Michigan, totaling over $6 million for the fiscal year 2023.

Medicaid fraud is a serious crime that undermines the integrity of the healthcare system and deprives those in need of necessary resources. The authorities are committed to combating such fraud and ensuring that these programs can continue to provide crucial assistance to those who truly need it.