Statistical flags indicate unusual patterns — not proof of fraud or wrongdoing. Read our methodology

ExposedFebruary 18, 2026 · 8 min read

CARES INC: From $1.6M to $112.6M — A 6,886% Billing Explosion

A New York case management provider triggered four independent risk detection flags. Here's everything the data shows.

7

Risk Flags

$1.04B

Total Billing

6,886%

Peak Growth

240K

Beneficiaries

The Timeline

Community Assistance Resources & Extended Services INC (CARES INC) is registered as a Case Management provider in New York, NY (NPI: 1396049987). Their billing trajectory tells a striking story:

2019$77KFirst appears in Medicaid billing records
2020$1.6M+1,992% growth — billing ramps up
2021$112.6M+6,886% — the explosion year
2022$486.1M+332% — billing continues surging to peak
2023$297.6M-39% — first decline
2024$144.9M-51% — sharp continued decline

Total lifetime billing: $1.04 billion in taxpayer-funded Medicaid payments across 2.8 million claims serving 240,000 beneficiaries.

Four Independent Red Flags

CARES INC triggered 4 independent risk detection flags. Each flag represents a different statistical test:

Cost Outlier

Bills $555.61 per claim for H2015 (comprehensive community support) — 5.8× the national median of $96.24. Also 4.5× median for H2014 and 3.1× for 90847.

Billing Swing

Billing changed by more than 200% year-over-year with over $1M in absolute change — triggered in multiple years as billing surged from $77K to $486M.

Rate Outlier

Billing above the 90th percentile for 9 procedure codes simultaneously. One high-cost code could be specialization — nine suggests systematic overbilling.

Explosive Growth

6,886% year-over-year increase from 2020 to 2021 — far beyond the 500% threshold. This is the single largest percentage jump among major providers.

What Are They Billing For?

CARES INC bills primarily for community-based behavioral health and support services:

H2015Comprehensive community support services, per 15 min$555.61/claim5.8× median
H2014Skills training & development, per 15 min$378.16/claim4.5× median
90847Family psychotherapy with patient, 50 min$237.17/claim3.1× median

These are 15-minute billing increments. At $555.61 per 15-minute session for H2015, this implies a rate of over $2,222/hour — compared to the national median of $385/hour for the same service.

Important Context

This provider may operate as a fiscal intermediary — an organization that processes Medicaid payments on behalf of many individual caregivers. In New York's self-directed care model, these entities can legitimately aggregate high billing volumes.

However, several patterns remain unusual even for fiscal intermediaries: the 6,886% single-year growth rate, the significantly above-median cost per claim across multiple codes, and the sharp billing decline in 2023-2024 after the peak.

These findings are statistical indicators, not proof of fraud. A qualified investigation would need to examine individual claims, verify services were delivered, and assess whether the billing rates reflect legitimate costs.

View the full provider profile

See all billing data, yearly trends, peer comparisons, and advanced detection signals.

CARES INC Profile →
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