Counselor billed Medicaid for fictitious office visits

WILMINGTON, DE – Pamela Davis, 51, of Bear, a self-employed Licensed Clinical Social Worker operating PD Counseling Services out of several locations in New Castle County, was arrested July 8, 2015, for health care fraud, theft of more than $1,500, and falsifying business records.

Davis contracted with Delaware Medicaid and Medical Assistance and Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. to provide social work services to Delaware Medicaid recipients. As part of their normal course of business, Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. sent out verification letters to validate services rendered and accurate billing practices. In 2013, Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. received responses from several of Davis’ clients, advising they had not seen Pamela Davis for services rendered or paid on the dates in question.

Special investigators from the Delaware Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted interviews of Davis’ clients and discovered that from approximately January 2013 through May 2015, Davis routinely billed, and was paid by Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. for services that appear to have never been rendered. A search warrant of Davis’ business in June 2015 yielded logbooks containing alleged fraudulent patient visit information. Investigators allege that Pamela Davis billed Delaware Physicians Care, Inc. for 160 visits that never occurred and in return, fraudulently received over $11,500 in Medicaid funds for services not rendered.

Pamela Davis was arraigned at New Castle County Police Department and released on $22,000 unsecured bail.

In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

In his weekly message, Governor Markell discusses statewide efforts to educate Delawareans on how to be financially stable.

“When people are financially secure, they can buy a home, pay for college, start a business, or save for retirement,” said Governor Markell. “Providing our communities with the tools people of all ages need to learn how to succeed financially will empower our residents, strengthen our economy, and will keep Delaware moving forward.”
Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

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Governor’s Weekly Message Transcript: Economic Growth Through Financial Empowerment

When people are financially secure, they can buy a home, pay for college, start a business, or save for retirement. So, educating Delawareans on what it takes to be financially stable is one way we can ensure our residents are on a path to success.  That’s why, earlier this week, I announced almost $220K in grant money from the state’s Financial Literacy Education Fund would be awarded to 17 nonprofit organizations across Delaware. The funds will help the organizations educate adults and children on the importance of saving, establishing and maintaining a budget, and investing for the future. Last year, fund recipients assisted more than 38,000 Delawareans gain the necessary tools to make sound financial decisions.  I also signed legislation this week that will ensure the sustainability and success of the Stand By Me program. That’s a free, innovative financial empowerment program that has helped more than 30,000 residents, over the past four years, in a wide variety of financial services; from helping people check their credit for the first time, or work on household budgets and add savings, to supporting individuals to take action to improve their credit. The new Office of Financial Empowerment will continue these efforts, helping more Delawareans achieve financial well-being.  Providing our communities with the tools people of all ages need to learn how to succeed financially will empower our residents, strengthen our economy, and will keep Delaware moving forward.

Photos from the dinner

Becomes first Delaware Governor to celebrate Muslim holiday by hosting an Iftar

Dover, DE – Last night, Governor Jack Markell was joined by Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen and Delaware State Housing Authority Director Anas Ben Addi, along with more than two dozen guests representing mosques from across Delaware, for a Ramadan Iftar dinner at Woodburn.

The Iftar is the evening meal after sunset that concludes the daily fasting during the month of Ramadan. For observers, the Iftar dinner and Ramadan are a time to reflect on humanity and to reaffirm commitments to helping the less fortunate.

“The diversity of Delawareans has always been a source of great pride and strength,” said Governor Markell. “This Iftar dinner celebrates that diversity while recognizing the Muslim community in Delaware, which has given so much to the state and the region through a spirit of kindness and compassion as well as through a commitment to serving all of those in need.”

Governor Markell is the first Governor of Delaware to host such an event, which he hopes becomes an annual event at Woodburn following his term in office – a sentiment shared by those in attendance last night.

“We were excited to take part in the first Governor’s hosted Ramadan Iftar, this initiative shows the continued efforts by Governor Markell to be inclusive and supportive,” added Usman Sandhu, President of the Islamic Society Of Central Delaware. “We hope that this initiative will set a trend that will continue beyond the Markell administration.”

Governor Markell has long celebrated diversity in the first state. In 2012, he created the Governor’s Delaware Council of Faith-Based Partnerships. The council fosters the opportunity for leaders of different faiths to meet and work together in order to ensure community needs.

“We admire Governor Markell’s initiative to sponsor this Ramadan Iftar,” said Qamar Ahmad, Board President of Masjid Ibrahim, who attended the Iftar dinner. “We are blessed in Delaware for having accessible elected officials.
Actions like this one will enhance feelings of equality, fairness, and inclusiveness in Muslims and will boost their integration into the general population for a stronger unified Delaware.”

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At his office in Dover today, Governor Markell announced that 17 Delaware nonprofit organizations will receive a total of $217,600 in grant money from the state’s Financial Literacy Education Fund (FLEF). These grant funds will be used to teach adults and children throughout Delaware the importance of saving, establishing and maintaining a budget, and investing for the future. To make this announcement, Governor Markell was joined by State Bank Commissioner Robert Glen.

Governor Markell established the Financial Literacy Education Fund in 2009 when he signed Senate Bill 108 to require businesses that make short-term consumer loans (payday loans) and car title loans to pay a high-cost loan license fee surcharge of $1,500 annually for each licensed office. Those fees are deposited into the FLEF to fund grants to or contracts with schools or other organizations that provide financial literacy skills to adults and youth in Delaware.

From 2011 through 2014, the first four years of the FLEF grant program, 25 organizations provided financial education to youth and adults in Delaware through a total of $1,623,605 in grants. In 2014, the FLEF awarded $264,000 in funds to 19 organizations. Those 19 nonprofit organizations assisted over 38,500 Delawareans to gain the tools necessary to make sound financial decisions for today, tomorrow and every day in their future. “These organizations continue to make Delaware stronger by providing adults with the knowledge needed to succeed financially and by teaching our youth the importance of making good monetary choices,” said Governor Markell.

The FLEF is administered by the Office of the State Bank Commissioner and the Secretary of State’s Office. Applications for the competitive grants were rated on how they would improve the financial literacy of Delawareans. All schools recognized by the Delaware Department of Education and nonprofit organizations within the State of Delaware that have 501(c)(3) designation by the Internal Revenue Service were eligible to apply. The Fund has one competitive grant cycle per calendar year.