Therapist Filed Bogus Medicaid Claims For Dead Clients: Investigators

Authorities have arrested a convicted felon-turned-counselor who they said collected more than $100,000 from bogus Medicaid claims -- including some for sessions with a client who had died.

Inspectors from the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney arrested Ethel R. Bethea, 56, of Rosette Street in New Haven Tuesday, a spokesman said. Bethea was charged with one count of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community, one count of health insurance fraud and 15 counts of third-degree identity theft.

She posted $150,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Hartford on March 6, spokesman Mark Dupuis said.

According to the warrant for her arrest, Bethea, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, billed Medicaid for office visits by 10 patients who were hospitalized at the time she claimed to have counseled them. She also billed for 14 psychotherapy sessions with a client who had died in a crash and some for office visits from a man who was in jail.

She told investigators that her daughter filed the claims and blamed sloppy records-keeping.

Check back for more details.

Christine Dempsey can be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.

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