A West Haven behavioral analyst has agreed to pay $20,000 and will be barred from participating in the state’s Medicaid program for three years over allegations he submitted false claims for autism services, officials said.
Harry Voulgarakis, owner of West Haven-based HMV Psychological Services, Shoreline Social Learning and Shoreline Center for Social Learning, allegedly billed the state’s Medicaid program for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) services he did not provide between June 2015 and at least May 2018, according to State Attorney General William Tong’s office.
ASD services such as diagnostic evaluations, behavior assessment and plan of care development are typically provided in a patient’s home by a technician under the direct observation of a qualified Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA), authorities said.
Voulgarakis, working as a BCBA, submitted claims for supervising these services but was rarely present while they were provided, investigators found. Most of Voulgarakis’ clients were children.
“Harry Voulgarakis violated the public trust by defrauding the state of thousands of dollars in Medicaid funds. But more importantly, he deprived children with autism spectrum disorder of expert observation and direction services needed to advance their care and treatment,” Tong said in a statement.
The investigation was sparked by a fraud referral from the state Department of Social Services and is part of a broader crackdown on healthcare fraud in Connecticut, officials said.
All money paid in the settlement will be returned to the Connecticut Medicaid Assistance Program.
Contact Natalie Missakian at news@newhavenbiz.com
