Home Health & Hospice Week

Industry Note:

Staffer Embezzles $840K From Home Health Agency

Home health agencies have another cautionary tale about unchecked employees, this time from the state of Minnesota.

As vice president of operations for Edel-weiss Home Health Care in Maple Grove, Lori Jo Mueller admitted in a guilty plea to embezzling $840,000 from the agency, according to a Depart-ment of Justice release. Mueller admitted using her access to the corporate checking account to issue payments to herself. Mueller also double-billed Medicaid and a private insurer for services.

Mueller contends the theft was fueled by a "severe addiction" to shopping for lavish items and other psychological problems, reports the Star Tribune. Mueller was fired soon after the scheme was detected. Edelweiss closed in September and reopened as a new and smaller business in March with fewer clients and employees, according to the newspaper.

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