Seattle whistleblower attorney Stephen Teller was recently quoted in a powerful investigative article published by InvestigateWest. The piece, titled “An Idaho Safe House Claimed It Was Saving Trafficking Victims. Women Said It Was Like Being Trafficked All Over Again,” unveils a harrowing story of deception and abuse within a supposed sanctuary for trafficking victims.
Background of the Story – Exposing Safe House Billing Fraud
The article exposes the troubling practices of a Safe House in Idaho that purports to rescue and rehabilitate human trafficking victims. Instead, numerous women reported experiences that mirrored some of the very traumas they sought to escape. Conditions within the facility were described as oppressive, with women feeling as though they were being trafficked all over again. The exposé highlights systemic failures and calls for urgent reforms to protect vulnerable individuals.
When Safe Houses and similar programs submit invoices for treatment to Medicaid for payment, the invoices must reflect the actual services and treatment performed, and they must comply with the practices and requirements of Medicaid concerning how treatment and services must be itemized and billed. Unscrupulous providers, however, may submit invoices to Medicaid for services that were never performed (or not performed adequately), or they may engage in other fraudulent billing practices in order to seek more compensation than what is legitimately owed.
Medicaid fraud perpetuated by Safe Houses is only one aspect of Medicaid Fraud. Because the government does not have the resources to thoroughly review every bill that is presented, illegal billing practices by Safe Houses and virtually all other treatment facilities may not be noticed.
Additionally, Safe Houses often have positive public perceptions based upon their commitment to do good and to serve those who may have been traumatized. Favorable public reputations and positive media coverage may also play a substantial role in being able to perpetuate fraud, as government employees may be more reluctant to investigate billing practices when they are aware of a strong favorable reputation for a specific treatment program submitting invoices.
Stephen Teller’s Insight
As an experienced whistleblower attorney frequently handling cases of False Claims Act fraud and abuse, firm founder Stephen Teller was interviewed for this article to provide insight into Medicaid fraud cases under the False Claims Act. As part of the False Claims Act, those who bill Medicaid can be held liable for services not provided, or for engaging in illegal billing practices.
Steve has extensive experience in representing whistleblowers in False Claims Act matters, particularly those involving exposing fraud against government programs like Medicaid. As a Safe House program fraud lawyer, Steve is available to represent clients with knowledge about Medicaid Safe House fraud and fraud by other treatment facilities.
Schedule A Free Consultation With Experienced Safe House Billing Fraud Attorney Steve Teller
If you or someone you know has information about fraud being committed against the government, especially involving Medicaid, it’s crucial to act. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers who report such fraud can receive substantial financial rewards, ranging from 15% to 30% of the total amount recovered by the government, which can amount to millions of dollars. At Teller Law, we offer a free consultation, and we represent whistleblowers on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs, and we only receive a fee for our services if compensation is secured for our client.