Ga. woman charged in NC Medicaid fraud scheme

A Georgia woman is accused of scheming to collect nearly $40,000 by filing false Medicaid claims in North Carolina, according warrants returned Thursday.

Harriet Reid-Bell, 52, of Duluth, Ga., was arrested Wednesday in Morrisville and charged with accessing a government computer to defraud, defrauding by obtaining money or property through medical assistance and 11 counts of medical provider fraud. All charges are felonies.

Authorities said Reid-Bell filed 11 false billing claims for payment for mental health services that were never provided to Medicaid recipients. The claims were filed between 2008 and 2012.