A chilling echo of the massive fraud scandal unfolding in Minnesota is now surfacing in Ohio, with allegations of a long-running scheme targeting Medicaid funds within the state’s Somali community. A whistleblower is coming forward with disturbing details, suggesting the problem in Ohio is even more widespread than initially feared.
Ohio attorney Mehek Cooke, a conservative commentator, believes the Minnesota case was merely a prelude to a much larger issue. She states that individuals within Ohio’s Somali community have confided in her, revealing a “massive” Medicaid fraud operation that has been exploiting a critical loophole for over a decade.
The core of the scheme involves doctors allegedly “rubber-stamping” home health care payouts for elderly individuals based on fabricated medical conditions. Family members are receiving substantial Medicaid payments – potentially up to $91,000 annually per individual – for care that is, in reality, not being provided.
Cooke explains that doctors involved in the scheme are receiving kickbacks for their complicity. Evidence suggests a disturbing disconnect between the claimed disabilities and the recipients’ actual activities, with individuals supposedly bedridden appearing active and social on social media platforms.
The vulnerability lies within Ohio’s Medicaid program, which allows individuals to receive payments for providing care to family members. The Somali community, according to Cooke, has expertly exploited this system, finding ways to claim benefits even when no genuine need exists.
Those who came forward with information did so at immense personal risk, fearing retribution within their community. Cooke reports they expressed a chilling concern: exposure would lead to being “stoned to death.” This highlights the intense pressure and potential danger faced by those attempting to expose the fraud.
A critical flaw in the system, Cooke argues, is the lack of independent verification. There are insufficient random assessments by both doctors and the Department of Medicaid, allowing individuals to be easily coached on how to deceive medical professionals and secure fraudulent benefits.
Providers within the community estimate that an astonishing 99 percent of those receiving home health care Medicaid benefits are coached and do not legitimately qualify for the assistance. This paints a picture of systemic abuse and a deeply compromised system.
Cooke emphasizes this is not a matter of race or community, but a criminal exploitation of a well-intentioned system. Ohio’s Medicaid waiver program was designed to help those in genuine need, but it is now being systematically “looted” by those seeking to profit illegally.
The implications extend far beyond Ohio. Cooke urges every state to conduct thorough audits of their Medicaid systems, warning that the problem is likely more pervasive than currently understood. Ultimately, she stresses, the financial burden of this fraud falls upon taxpayers across the nation, depleting vital resources.
