A woman jailed for her role in stealing millions of dollars from the state’s Medicaid system has now been ordered to pay over $4 million in restitution.
Arielle Dix, 37, has been ordered by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to pay $3,863,036.15 in restitution for her involvement in defrauding AHCCCS. The order was issued on Wednesday.
According to the state attorney general’s office, Dix played a role in defrauding the Medicaid system by setting up fraudulent clinics and submitting false bills to AHCCCS, using fabricated lists of patients.
“Exploiting public programs and vulnerable communities for personal gain not only harms those who rely on critical health care services but also steals from taxpayers,” emphasized Attorney General Mayes. He further stated the importance of sending a strong message through this case: individuals who engage in Medicaid fraud will face consequences for their actions.
In May, Dix received a prison sentence of 3.5 years. At that time, Mayes’ office made it known that this marked the first instance of a prison sentence being handed down in connection with the Medicaid fraud scandal.
Arizona’s Family Investigates has extensively investigated how the state continues to adopt adjustments to the American Indian Health Program to ensure that incidents like the sober living disaster do not occur again.
Mayes accuses Dix of defrauding AHCCCS and the State of tens of millions of dollars between January 2019 and September 2021, without providing an exact dollar amount.
