Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that three individuals have been arrested on charges that they conspired to defraud the Florida Medicaid program out of at least $112,000.

Frederica Hill, Cathy Summerlin and Larry Hill were arrested by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit with assistance from the Sheriffs’ Offices in Jackson and Calhoun counties. The Hills were taken into custody yesterday; Summerlin was arrested this morning.

Frederica Hill, a licensed practical nurse, was employed by Interim Home Health Agency to provide 40 hours of skilled nursing per week to a Medicaid recipient. Medicaid fraud investigators received information from the Department of Children and Families’ Adult Protective Services that in late 2004, Frederica entered into a verbal agreement with Cathy Summerlin, the mother of the Medicaid recipient, to falsify service records indicating Frederica Hill was providing care services to Summerlin’s son.

After obtaining the falsified service logs from Summerlin, Frederica Hill would submit the logs to her employer, which submitted the claims to the Medicaid program for reimbursement.

From January 1, 2005 until December 15, 2008, Frederica Hill was paid over $112,000 for services she never provided. Frederica’s husband, Larry Hill, had knowledge of the agreement and made payments to Summerlin for her participation in the scheme.

Frederica Hill is charged with Medicaid provider fraud, organized fraud, communications fraud, grand theft, neglect of a disabled adult, and conspiracy to commit Medicaid provider fraud. If convicted, she faces up to 80 years in prison and up to $40,000 in fines.

Cathy Summerlin is charged with Medicaid provider fraud, organized fraud, communications fraud, neglect of a disabled adult, and conspiracy to commit Medicaid provider fraud. If convicted, she faces up to 50 years in prison and up to $30,000 in fines.

Larry Hill is charged with Medicaid provider fraud and conspiracy to commit Medicaid provider fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. The case is being prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office for the 14th Judicial Circuit.