CT counselor charged with billing Medicaid over $80K for sessions that never happened

A Connecticut behavioral health counselor from was arrested Monday and charged with allegedly submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that never took place, according to officials.

Andrew R. Golden, 55, of New Canaan was arrested by inspectors from the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney and was charged with one count each of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and health insurance fraud, according to a statement from the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice.

Golden is a licensed professional counselor who is listed as an individual practitioner and owns his practice in Stamford. Between January 2020 and July 2022, investigators allege that Golden billed Medicaid for behavioral health counseling sessions that never took place, the arrest warrant affidavit for Golden said.

According to the warrant affidavit, Golden was allegedly not meeting with clients as reported but was submitting claims to the Department of Social Services for payments that totaled $80,328.19.

Golden is free on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Dec. 29, according to the DCJ. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the charges, the DCJ said.

Anyone with information of suspected fraud or abuse in the public health care system is asked to contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 860-258-5986.