On Tuesday, state agents descended on the St. Cloud office of Credent Care as part of a widening state probe into possible Medicaid billing problems, officials confirmed. Witnesses and reporters watched as Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agents walked out of the building at 2719 West Division Street carrying boxes of material.
As reported by KNSI, Brian Evans, press secretary for the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office, said the search warrant was carried out by the office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with help from the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The station noted that investigators have not publicly detailed the specific allegations they are looking at, and that no charges have been filed in connection with the raid.
Raid Fits Into A Larger Enforcement Push
Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit has been stepping up its work this spring and early summer. In June, the unit charged seven providers with more than $700,000 in alleged Medicaid fraud as part of a national health care fraud takedown. That enforcement surge followed passage of the Medical Assistance Protection Act earlier this year, which expanded the unit and its investigative authority, according to a press release from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
About Credent Care
State licensing records list Credent Care at 2719 W Division St and show the company is licensed to provide home and community-based services, including mental health supports, housing assistance and targeted case management. Credent Care’s website describes similar services and lists local contact information for its St. Cloud office.
What Investigators May Be Seeking
When the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit executes search warrants, it typically seizes billing records, electronic files and other documents that can help investigators determine whether services billed to Medicaid were actually delivered. If they find evidence of fraud, the unit can pursue criminal charges, seek civil recoveries and take administrative action against licenses. The MAP Act added legal tools intended to strengthen those efforts, according to the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
Local Status And Response
The BCA told reporters it was assisting the attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and sent additional questions back to that office, KNSI reported. Licensing information for Credent Care remains available through the Minnesota Department of Human Services online lookup, and the company’s website continues to list contact details for the St. Cloud office.
