(12-12-25) In a Fox News story Mehek Cooke discusses current Medicaid fraud issues in Ohio…
“What we’re seeing in Minneapolis is just a snippet of what’s happening in Ohio.”
She went on to say…
“the problem today is not the community; it’s actually the criminals within the Somalian community that have exploited Ohio’s Medicaid program because we have a system right now that’s one of the easiest in the Midwest to game.”
The Ohio State University estimates more than 60,000 Somali Americans live in Columbus.
Cooke explained that scammers in the community have been exploiting a loophole in Ohio’s Medicaid program that allows individuals to receive Medicaid payments, totaling as much as $91,000 per year per individual, for care they are supposedly providing to a family member. Doctors who approve these payments in turn receive kickbacks themselves,
In November Dave Yost, Ohio Attorney General was investigating nine providers for fraud. Nine Medicaid providers are accused of stealing a combined $530,888 from the government health-care program.
Dave Yost–
“Cheating Medicaid earns you nothing but a court date and a criminal record. We’re working hard for Ohioans to recover ill-gotten gains and bring fraudsters to justice.”
Ohio Medicaid provider fraud arrests
Mehek Cooke is a Republican lawyer and consultant from America’s well-known swing state. Born in India but raised in Ohio, Mehek’s ethnic and legal background give her a unique perspective on politics. As a political operative, she served in the Ohio Governor’s Office and on a presidential campaign. She remains a key player in Ohio GOP politics.
Mehek is a regular contributor to Ohio and Canadian media outlets with specific expertise and insight on economic issues, immigration and race relations, election analysis, and national security.
Mercer County Outlook 