Attorney General's News Release

February 8, 2006

St. Louis counselor charged with Medicaid fraud by Nixon; wife was convicted of defrauding Medicaid in 2004

St. Louis, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon today charged a licensed counselor from St. Louis with defrauding the Missouri Medicaid program by allegedly billing Medicaid for psychotherapy services he didn’t provide. Nathaniel R. Burger (DOB: 10-18-37) is charged with three felony charges of making a false statement to receive a health care payment. The charges were brought by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of Nixon’s office.

According to the probable cause statement filed with the charges, Burger allegedly altered signatures on bills, billed Medicaid for patient times that overlapped, and billed for services that surveillance disclosed was not provided.

Causing to be made a false statement to receive a health care payment is a class D felony under Missouri law, punishable by up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The charges against the defendant are merely accusations; as in all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.

The defendant’s wife, Barbara Burger, a licensed clinical social worker, entered a guilty plea in April 2004 to four counts of defrauding the Medicaid program in charges also brought by Nixon. The court ordered her to pay $17,000 in restitution to Medicaid, and she was excluded as a Medicaid provider. Nathaniel Burger operates from an office at 4144 Lindell Blvd.; Barbara Burger was the owner of Burger Youth and Family Services at that address at the time she pleaded guilty.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Attorney General’s Office, formed by Nixon in 1994, has authority under state law to investigate and prosecute, both civilly and criminally, allegations of fraud against Missouri’s Medicaid program.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818