Ulster woman receives 10 years probation for insurance fraud

TOWANDA — An Ulster woman who formerly operated the Center for Holistic Integrative Mental Health on Main Street in Athens Borough was recently sentenced to six months of home confinement and 10 years probation after she stole nearly $450,000 via insurance fraud, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry.

Stefanie King, 46, had previously pled guilty to felonies including prescribing medications without a collaborating doctor and false billing. She has already surrendered her certified registered nurse practitioner's license and will pay the nearly $450,000 in restitution.

Henry added some of the criminal conduct happened while she was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a patient.

"The defendant abused her position of trust by engaging in conduct that served herself and violated a system meant to assist our most vulnerable residents," said Henry. "My office is committed to holding accountable those who put patients at risk and compromise our health care programs."

The investigation found that King falsely billed in excess of $300,000 to private insurers, as well as $100,000 to the commonwealth, for services below acceptable medical treatment standards.

Additionally, she wrote over 3,750 prescriptions to patients while not meeting the requirements to prescribe under Pennsylvania law, Henry explained.

King entered into a sexual relationship with a patient beginning in November 2016 at her Athens practice and billed a private insurer for time they spent together not related to medical care. King later entered into a second relationship with a different patient and continued to prescribe controlled substances to him, despite discontinuing medical care after the relationship began, said Henry.

Under Pennsylvania law, nurse practitioners are required to enter into collaborative agreements with Pennsylvania licensed physicians in order to perform medical diagnoses and to prescribe controlled substances, stated Henry. Investigators also found that King misled past physician collaborators and renewed previous agreements without their knowledge.

In all, King pleaded guilty to one felony count of violating the Controlled Substance Act- Obtained by Subterfuge; one felony count of Medicaid Fraud; one felony count of Insurance Fraud; and one felony count of violating the Controlled Substance Act- Delivery by Practitioner. She has agreed not to practice as a nurse for the duration of her sentence and voluntarily surrendered her license to practice as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner. She will pay restitution of $348,760 to Highmark and $100,425 to Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, Henry said.