Ohio attorney Mehek Cooke is blowing the whistle on what she is calling rampant fraud and abuse in the Ohio Medicaid program on the heels of the massive fraud scheme in Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Mehek Cooke)
"They're just rubberstamping a lot of these. And then that same individual, a week later, that's supposed to be bedridden, is all over social media, whether they're out dancing at a party or something like that. So, the symptoms aren't really adding up at the end of the day."
Cooke noted that she believes that "the problem today is not the community; it's actually the criminals within the Somalian community that have exploited Ohio's Medicaid program because we have a system right now that's one of the easiest in the Midwest to game."
"Say I want to take care of my elderly aging parents at some point. I can become a home health provider, and this is where the Somali community has been really clever. They've been able to find loopholes in Ohio law to provide for care for family members, even when they don't need it," Cooke explained.
NUTRITION PROGRAM’S LAWSUIT TRIGGERS MN EDUCATION DEPT TO EASE OVERSIGHT, OPENING DOOR TO MORE FRAUD
Columbus, Ohio, skyline at night. (Matt Kazmierski via Getty Images)
"I know that everybody wants to make this a Somali issue or a race issue. It's not. Our waiver system in Ohio was built with compassion. It was built to really help individuals that are struggling and in need, but it's being looted today," Cooke went on.
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"I think every state, in addition to Ohio, should be asking for audits of their Medicaid system and their programs," she said, adding, "At the end of the day, Ohio taxpayers are hurting, the American people are hurting, and we don't have enough tax dollars."
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/whistleblower-warns-massive-fraud-happening-ohio-somali-community-minnesota-just-tip-spear