Glen Carbon Nurse Practitioner Admits Medicare Scam

GLEN CARBON, IL – Jami L. Mayhew, a 41-year-old nurse practitioner from Glen Carbon, Illinois, admitted today to a brazen scheme to bilk Medicare out of thousands of dollars. Mayhew pleaded guilty to a single-count felony information charging her with healthcare fraud, a crime that preys on a system designed to help the vulnerable.

According to facts presented in court, Mayhew knowingly participated in the fraudulent activity between May 30 and June 26, 2017. She conducted what amounted to drive-by medical exams at nursing homes in St. Clair and Madison counties, spending mere minutes with residents before fabricating detailed progress notes. These notes, riddled with lies, were used to falsely claim she’d provided complex, billable medical services when she hadn’t.

The scheme wasn’t about patient care; it was about cold, hard cash. Mayhew saw nursing home residents multiple times, but her examinations were a sham. She knowingly submitted 251 false claims to Medicare, resulting in over $23,000 being paid to her employer, General Medicine, P.C. Mayhew herself pocketed $27 for each fraudulent claim – a total of $6,777 – proving her direct involvement in the criminal enterprise.

This wasn’t a case of simple billing errors. This was a calculated and deliberate attempt to defraud the Medicare system, stealing funds meant for legitimate healthcare. Investigators uncovered a pattern of fabricated encounters designed solely to generate illicit payments. The level of deception displayed by Mayhew is particularly disturbing given her position of trust as a healthcare provider.

Mayhew’s sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2020. She now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a potential fine of $250,000. This case serves as a stark reminder that healthcare fraud will not be tolerated. Anyone with information about similar schemes is urged to contact the HHS fraud hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or report it online at https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/.

The investigation was a multi-agency effort involving the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Illinois State Police Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor – Employee Benefits and Security Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan D. Stump is prosecuting the case.