Montana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit · October 28, 2026 · Primary source
Billings woman sentenced to Montana Women’s Prison for Medicaid Fraud
Summary
The Montana Department of Justice announced on October 28, 2026, that Billings licensed professional counselor Staci West was convicted of Medicaid fraud and making false claims to a public agency following a Montana MFCU investigation. West billed Medicaid for therapy sessions with patients she never treated between January 2022 and September 2025, resulting in $603,719.66 in fraudulent claims. She was sentenced to three years in the Montana Women's Prison, a 10-year suspended sentence, full restitution of $603,719.66, and exclusion from billing any federal health insurance program for the length of her sentence.
What this may mean
The conviction and exclusion from all federal health insurance billing programs directly terminates West's participation as a provider in Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal programs for at least 13 years. The case demonstrates that behavioral health providers, specifically licensed professional counselors, billing for sessions with patients never seen are a named enforcement target for state MFCUs coordinating with federal exclusion authorities. The restitution figure of $603,719.66 for a single counselor reflects the materiality threshold at which state prosecutors pursue criminal conviction and incarceration rather than civil recovery alone.
Informational only. Not legal, medical, financial, or other professional advice. Always consult a qualified professional familiar with your specific facts before relying on any item.
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