Jennifer C. Alsdorf, Medicaid Fraud, Georgia 2023

Atlanta, GA – In a shocking turn of events, Jennifer C. Alsdorf, owner and President of Hand in Hand Speech & Language Services, Inc., has pleaded guilty to health care fraud for filing fraudulent claims with the Georgia Medicaid program.

The case, which was investigated by the FBI, alleges that Alsdorf cheated the Medicaid program by sending in thousands of fraudulent claims for medical services that were never performed. According to United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates, Alsdorf billed Medicaid for services provided by speech-language pathologists, but also billed for ‘sensory integration’ therapy, a service the pathologists had not provided.

Alsdorf, who was the owner, President, and CEO of Hand in Hand Speech & Language Services, Inc., contracted with speech-language pathologists to perform services under independent contractor agreements. However, she would bill Medicaid for the services provided by the pathologists, and then send a portion of the amount she received from Medicaid to them.

Alsdorf also submitted claims to Medicaid for patient visits that never occurred, and submitted claims under pathologists’ names for services during times when they were not working with Hand in Hand. She also submitted claims representing that the pathologists had treated certain patients when, in fact, the pathologists had never seen or treated the patients at any time.

As part of the plea agreement, Alsdorf has agreed to a restitution judgment of $200,000 to the Georgia Medicaid program, which includes forfeiture of a 2013 Mercedes Benz, thousands of dollars that were previously seized from two retirement accounts.

Alsdorf pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

With this guilty plea, Alsdorf will be held accountable for her criminal actions, and the Georgia Medicaid program will receive the restitution it is owed. This case sends a strong message that fighting Medicaid fraud is a top priority for the state, and those who overbill Medicaid will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted.

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