ALBANY - Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Thursday announced that his industry-wide Medicaid fraud probe of the home health care industry has expanded upstate with the issuance of 27 subpoenas to western and central New York home health care providers.

The investigation, known as “Operation Home Alone,” has resulted in the conviction of a Buffalo area home health agency employee, Rochester area nurse, and Syracuse area licensed practical nurse.

“Operation Home Alone” is the Attorney General’s long-term and statewide investigation into fraud in the home health care industry, which is one of New York’s fastest growing industries.  Thus far, “Operation Home Alone” has resulted in charges against more than 80 defendants, including patients, aides, nurses, instructors, and the administrators of licensed and certified home health agencies.

Defendants convicted during the investigation have been ordered to repay nearly $14 million in restitution.  

This week the Attorney General issued 27 subpoenas to certified home health agencies in the Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse regions.  These subpoenas seek information about home health aides whose services were paid for by Medicaid, including personal information, verification of qualifications, and the names of the licensed home care service agencies that supplied the aides for which the certified agencies billed.