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Earlier this week, Attorney General Andy Beshear joined with attorneys general from 36 states and the District of Columbia to send a letter urging the United States government to expand its policy regarding the use of federal funds to investigate and prosecute Medicaid abuse and neglect cases.
The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) letter was sent to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.
Beshear said the federal government should change its policy so each state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) could use federal funds to investigate and prosecute a wider range of Medicaid abuse and neglect cases, including those that occur in the home.
Beshear said his office’s MFCU currently investigates and prosecutes Medicaid provider fraud, resident abuse complaints in Medicaid-funded health care facilities, and receives and reviews abuse and neglect complaints through the Elder Abuse Hotline.
The rule change would allow Beshear’s MFCU, along with other state’s units, to handle the investigation and prosecution of Medicaid providers who provide their services in non-institutional settings.
“Kentucky’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is working hard to protect Kentucky senior citizens and our most vulnerable,” Beshear said. “By changing out-of-date federal regulations, my office will have broader authority to directly help those suffering from abuse and prosecute their abusers.”
Beshear said statistics cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that one in 10 persons living at home, age 65 and older, will become a victim of abuse. The CDC figures also suggest that most elder abuse is not ever detected, with one study concluding that for every case of elder abuse detected or reported, 23 more remain unknown.
For these reasons, the attorneys general assert in the letter, “…the current strict federal limitations on states’ ability to use MFCU assets to investigate abuse and neglect are outdated, arbitrarily restrict our ability to protect Medicaid beneficiaries from abuse and neglect as Congress intended, and should be replaced or eliminated.”
NAAG offered two changes to current federal regulations:
- Allow each state’s Medicaid Fraud Control Units federal funds to be used to investigate and prosecute abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries in non-institutional settings (i.e. home health care).
- Allow use of MFCU federal funds to freely screen or review all complaints or reports of whatever type, in whatever setting.
Beshear has made protecting Kentucky senior citizens one of his office’s core missions.
Upon taking office, one of the first steps Beshear took was to expand Kentucky’s Elder Abuse Hotline to 24/7 to help ensure seniors are protected both day and night.
To report any instances of patient abuse, neglect or exploitation to the Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Hotline call, 877-228-7384.
Attorney General Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Bankers Association (KBA) are teaming up to protect seniors statewide from financial exploitation by scam artists.
This is the latest in a series of partnerships Beshear has announced aimed at preventing scams targeting seniors. His office most recently announced a partnership with Kentucky’s faith-based community to help educate its senior ministries and the communities they serve on potential scams.
Through the KBA collaboration, Beshear’s office will work with member banks to host scam events across the state. Beshear’s office presented scam prevention information at KBA’s spring conference earlier this month. The AG’s Office of Senior Protection will present at the upcoming Owensboro Rotary Club on May 31 with South Central Bank in Daviess County; and will hold an upcoming training for bank tellers on the warning signs of scammers and financial elder abuse.
“Banks are an important line of defense in protecting seniors who may be in the process of falling for a scam and are requesting to withdraw large sums of money from their life savings at a bank,” Beshear said. “Now having bank employees on the front lines helping us monitor and prevent scams in their communities is monumental. I cannot think the KBA enough for its partnership with my office.”
“Senior Kentuckians are the bedrock of our communities,” said Ballard Cassady, president/CEO of KBA. “We are pleased to work with the Kentucky Attorney General to provide Kentuckians with the tools they need to prevent bad actors from taking advantage.”
“It is a privilege to bring this information to the Owensboro Rotary Club,” said David Fort, president/CEO of South Central Bank of Daviess County. “Seniors are a part of America’s Greatest Generation and through this program, we will help them guard against potential losses from those who will do them harm.”
Beshear is working to bring new solutions and ideas to address scams because of the severe harm they are having on Kentucky families. More than 3 million consumers were conned out of $765 million across the country in 2015. Seniors nationwide lose nearly $37 billion a year to elder financial exploitation.
To date, more than 100 nonprofit and retail organizations have joined Beshear’s initiative as a Scam Alerts partner, including Kroger, AARP of Kentucky, the Kentucky Council of Churches, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, the Better Business Bureau and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
To protect seniors, Beshear launched Scam Alerts last year as the state’s first direct messaging service that notifies Kentuckians of financial schemes by con artists attempting to steal a person’s money or identification.
Kentuckians may sign up for Scam Alerts by texting the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311), or enroll online at ag.ky.gov/scams and select text message or email alert.
Attorney General Andy Beshear and his Cyber Crimes Unit today announced a Jefferson County man has been arrested for allegedly seeking sex with a minor.
Scott Louis Craven, 35, of Louisville, has been charged with one count of prohibited use of an electronic communication system for the purpose of procuring a minor for a sex offense, a Class D felony.
According to Beshear’s cyber investigators, Craven became the subject of investigation after seeking sex with a minor in a chatroom and sending sexually explicit photos of himself to cyber investigators.
Craven was arrested May 1 and lodged in Louisville Metro Corrections. Beshear’s cyber investigators were assisted by Louisville Metro Police Department, Third Division and Kentucky State Police Post 12.
The work of the Cyber Crimes Unit, a division of the Department of Criminal Investigations in the Office of the Attorney General, is part of Beshear’s core mission to keep sexual predators away from Kentucky’s families and children.
“The Attorney General is the chief advocate and protector for our Kentucky families, and it’s our job to ensure our communities are safe by taking off the streets anyone who would exploit children,” Beshear said. “I want to thank LMPD and KSP for working with my office on this case.”
Beshear’s work to prevent child abuse led to nearly 80 arrests, indictments and convictions of online child predators in 2016
Craven was to be arraigned in Jefferson District Court May 2. His cash bond is set at $10,000.
Attorney General Andy Beshear announced that approximately 2,000 Kentuckians are eligible for federal debt relief after being victimized by predatory practices by Corinthian Colleges Inc.
Corinthian Colleges targeted Kentuckians under the name Everest College and Everest University, offering online classes. Corinthian also marketed its WyoTech program in Kentucky attempting to recruit Kentuckians to its WyoTech campuses in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Beshear’s office is notifying eligible students by letter of the cancellation of their federal student loans used to attend Corinthian schools. Students whose federal loans are canceled will not have to make further payments on the loan and any payments made by the student will be refunded.
“As attorney general, my mission is to protect Kentucky’s families from consumer fraud, especially the ongoing deception by for-profit colleges like Corinthian,” Beshear said. “We must do everything in our power to ensure eligible Kentucky students get all the debt relief from fraudulent Corinthian loans.”
The overwhelming need to protect Kentucky students began after the federal government and state attorneys general found that Corinthian Colleges engaged in widespread consumer fraud by falsifying its job placement rate between 2010 and 2014. The federal government’s directive dictates that Corinthian is not allowed to enroll students and is only remaining open to “teach out” current students.
Beshear’s letter is to Kentucky students who fall within the U.S. Department of Education’s findings of fraud concerning Corinthian, and who are eligible for a special “streamlined” process to discharge their federal student loans.
Any student, however, who attended Corinthian Colleges or any other school and believes that the school lied about job prospects, the transferability of credits or other issues may apply to have his or her federal student loans discharged using the Department of Education’s universal discharge application at https://borrowerdischarge.ed.gov. More information is available at https://studentaid.ed.gov/borrower-defense.
Beshear said Kentucky and states across the country are keeping the pressure the federal government to honor their commitment to help students of for-profit colleges.
On April 24, 2017, Beshear joined with other state attorneys general to send a letter to federal officials expressing concern over the withdrawal of critical student loan servicing reforms.
Beshear’s office continues to hold for-profit colleges accountable in Kentucky.
In December 2016, Beshear announced nearly 3,500 former students of Daymar College’s Kentucky campuses and online programs will receive restitution checks totaling $1.2 million. The payments are pursuant to a settlement agreement the Office of the Attorney General entered into with Daymar in 2015 resolving a consumer protection lawsuit.
In August 2016, Beshear announced that the Kentucky Court of Appeals had affirmed a previous order by Franklin Circuit Court requiring National College of Kentucky Inc. and its attorneys to pay the state a combined $157,000 in civil monetary sanctions. The Kentucky Supreme Court declined to take up National College’s request to overturn the appeals’ court decision.
In March 2016, Beshear joined seven other state attorneys general in asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to restore educational and vocational benefits to thousands of veterans victimized by Corinthian Colleges Inc. for predatory practices. Kentucky veterans are among the 2,000 students receiving letters from Beshear regarding their federal loans.
Additionally, Beshear warns Kentucky college students to not fall for companies promising loan debt relief services for a large fee and student’s personal information.
Students should avoid these companies and contact their current student loan company that can offer changes to a repayment plan at any time for free, Beshear said. Students are assigned a loan servicer/company by the U.S. Department of Education when their loan amount is first paid out.
Beshear said his office of Consumer Protection is currently investigating several of these companies, and is asking students who have been a victim to contact his office by phone, 502-696-5300, or by completing a complaint form.
Attorney General Andy Beshear issued a Scam Alert to warn Kentuckians of reports of suspicious calls being made to utility customers in southeastern Kentucky.
Kentuckians in Harlan, London and Pineville reported receiving a call from someone claiming to be a utility company employee who asks for a utility bill payment over the phone. If the customer refuses to pay immediately, the scammer threatens to shut off the customer’s electricity.
“One of our top priorities is to help protect Kentuckians, especially senior citizens, from scams by warning them of the latest scams and providing tips on how to identify each scam,” Beshear said. “The best way to avoid this utility scam is to contact the utility company directly and verify any billing questions.”
Beshear said utility companies work to educate and warn customers of these types of scams and offered these tips to help others avoid the scam:
- Do not provide your personal information. Utility companies will never call and ask for credit or debit card numbers or other personal information.
- Contact your utility company. Customers who receive a suspicious solicitor at their home or a phone call, email or letter should contact their utility provider to verify. Do not rely on information or a phone number provided by the suspected scammer.
- Ask about bill payment options. Ask your utility company to explain the variety of official and secure ways to pay your bill.
- Sign up for billing notifications. Check with your utility provider to determine what types of billing notifications are available.
To report possible scam activity contact the Attorney General’s Office at 888-432-9257, or file a consumer complaint online.
Beshear issued a similar Scam Alert last summer when high rates of utility scam calls were being reported. Beshear said utility related scams occur in cycles and are often most common in the hot summer months and cold winter months.
In addition to the new scam reports, over the past eight months the Attorney General’s Office of Senior Protection and Mediation received 10 reports of utility related scams. The scam cost Kentuckians in Calloway, Fayette, Floyd, Grayson, Jefferson, Taylor and Trigg counties more than $2,500.
To help Kentuckians stay up to date on new and trending scams, Beshear launched Scam Alerts – a communication service that alerts Kentuckians when con artists are on the attack. To sign up for Scam Alerts, text the words KYOAG Scam to GOV311 (468311) or enroll online at ag.ky.gov/scams and select text message or email alert.
Attorney General Andy Beshear is joining with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and the Unified Prosecutorial System to offer a three-day training to educate prosecutors and law enforcement officials on the detection, apprehension and prosecution of drugged drivers.
The AG’s office will host the annual regional seminar “Prosecuting the Drugged Driver,” April 18-20, at the Radisson in Covington.
“My administration is focused on addressing the persistent challenges our families face, and one of those is better addressing Kentucky’s drug epidemic,” Beshear said. “Every time our families, our friends or our children get in a vehicle, they are at risk of being harmed by a driver under the influence of drugs.”
Beshear said Kentucky, like other states, is facing the worst drug overdose epidemic in American history, citing a recent New York Times article that said the epidemic is spurred by rising drug abuse, increased availability of prescription opioids and an influx of potent synthetics like fentanyl and carfentanil.
The goal of the Covington training is to create a team building approach in the detection, apprehension and prosecution of drivers impaired by illicit and prescription drugs, Beshear said.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recent roadside survey, about 20 percent of drivers tested positive for at least one drug in 2015, up from 12 percent in 2007.
Additionally, the University of Kentucky Transportation Center concluded that in 2015 there were 233 fatal drug-related crashes in the Commonwealth.
The three-day training is coordinated through the Attorney General’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor Program. The training is funded through the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety with grant funds provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and our Office of Highway Safety, look forward to continuing a very effective partnership with the Office of the Attorney General to provide funding in support of the Commonwealth’s Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor,” said Dr. Noelle Hunter, executive director at the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. “The TSRP program has done an exceptional job in conducting training workshops and coordinating training opportunities for both law enforcement and prosecutors throughout the state. It is not only our responsibility, it is a priority of this administration to provide all highway safety professionals with the tools and resources they need to save and protect lives on our highways.”
Representatives of the organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will attend the training.
“We are grateful to be invited to participate in the training,” said Rosalind Donald, MADD victim advocate. “MADD’s driving purpose is to shed light on the long-lasting effects the impaired driving crashes create for victims and survivors. In 2015, MADD officially changed its mission statement to include victims of drugged driving offenders. Impaired driving is a serious crime. Trainings such as these help ensure that the criminal justice system addresses DUI charges consistently and effectively, which ultimately helps protect society from needless death and injury.”
Representatives from the American Automobile Association (AAA) will also attend the conference.
“Drugged driving is one of the greatest threats to the safety of motorists today,” said Cheryl Parker, regional director, public and government affairs for AAA. “AAA looks forward to this important training that will give stakeholders in the criminal justice system what they need from the roadside to the courtroom to keep drugged drivers off the road.”
Attorney General Andy Beshear, the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board and the University of Louisville today announced an upcoming special screening of “I Am Jane Doe,” a worldwide documentary on child sex trafficking.
The 2017 film chronicles the battle of several American mothers on behalf of their middle-school daughters, who are victims of sex trafficking, against printed and online adult classifieds.
The film, narrated by Academy Award-nominee Jessica Chastain, will play at 6:30 p.m. on May 8 at the Clifton Center’s historic Eifler Theater in Louisville, located at 2117 Payne St. An expert panel discussion introduced by Beshear will follow the viewing of the film.
“We must continue to raise awareness on human trafficking and how it represents the worst form of abuse, often to children, in the Commonwealth,” Beshear said. “Human trafficking is increasing all over the Commonwealth, and as Kentuckians we must recognize the signs because it occurs in all our counties, cities and communities. By helping to bring this film to Kentucky, we have another opportunity to raise awareness about our obligation to prevent, identify and prosecute human trafficking cases.”
The Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board, which is administered by the Office of the Attorney General, is co-sponsoring the film – currently only being shown in larger cities worldwide – through the Child Victims’ Trust Fund.
The Fund last year helped pay for nearly 400 child sexual abuse forensic exams and helped administer $160,000 in statewide grants aimed at teaching parents how to discuss child sexual abuse with children and how to keep children safe on the Internet.
Dr. Jennifer Middleton, director of the University of Louisville’s Human Trafficking Research Initiative, is spearheading the efforts to bring “I Am Jane Doe” to Louisville and is working with
Beshear’s office to raise awareness on human trafficking.
Beshear recently joined Dr. Middleton and her colleagues at the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work to announce a study from the school that found that 40 percent of homeless youth surveyed in Louisville and southern Indiana reported being victims of sex trafficking, mostly in exchange for money or lodging.
“Based on the findings of our recent research study, it is clear that child sex trafficking is prevalent in our community, particularly among our most vulnerable children,” Dr. Middleton said. “The good news is that there is a lot that we can do to combat the issue and even prevent it from happening. And it starts with increasing the community’s knowledge and awareness about the issue.”
The Eifler Theater at the Clifton Center seats approximately 500 guests. To obtain admission information and to register for the event, please visit the event page at http://bit.ly/2ogJzkh. The event is free to the public but space is limited, so pre-registration is strongly encouraged. For additional questions about the event, please call the Human Trafficking Research Initiative at 502-852-3651.
At the completion of the film, a panel will discuss with the audience the documentary and the signs of human trafficking. The panelists include: Donna Pollard, survivor and member of Beshear’s Survivors Council; Julie Horen, coordinator of the My Life My Choice prevention program at Catholic Charities Human Trafficking Program; Allyson Taylor, director of Beshear’s Office of Child Abuse and Exploitation Prevention; Michael Littrell, cyber investigator for Beshear’s Department of Criminal Investigations; and Angela Renfro, survivor and director of the Kristy Love Foundation.
“Human trafficking is a crime and its victims are often hidden, which makes awareness especially important and also difficult to achieve,” Renfro said. “It is important for everyone in our community to be aware of the human trafficking problem in our community. Because you can make a difference.”
Beshear is encouraging Kentuckians to support the Child Victims’ Trust Fund through private donations, proceeds from the purchase of “I Care About Kids” license plates or donations made through the state income tax refund check-off program. To support victims of child sexual abuse, Kentuckians may visit their county clerk’s office and request an “I Care About Kids” license plate or check the box on their tax returns to designate a portion to the CVTF.