The Texas Rangers are now investigating the Health and Human Services Commission Office of Inspector General and the firing of actuary Brad Nelson per a story in the Houston Chronicle.
The Commission requested the investigation after Nelson was fired for allegedly fudging figures relating to the investigation of Dr. Rachel Trueblood, causing OIG to settle for $39,000 rather than the $16 million plus they were demanding. He is also said to have admitted having confidential information on his personal computer.
Tony Canales, lawyer for many Medicaid dentists under OIG investigation, told the Chronicle, “It just reaffirms that they don’t know what they’re doing and these allegations are baseless.”
More tellingly, the story reported:
Canales said Nelson had testified against more than a dozen of his clients, but neither he nor his clients were notified of the allegations against the former employee or his firing.
“They didn’t disclose it,” he said. “We found out about it on our own.”
Another development is that Nicole Guerrero, an audit manager with the State Auditors Office, has been made a special assistant commissioner for HHSC starting Monday and she will be looking into problems at OIG as promised by HHSC Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek.