Home Economy Government Thrive Behavioral Health alleges misconduct by state health office

Thrive Behavioral Health alleges misconduct by state health office

By

Jacquelyn Voghel

-

04/16/2026

statehousenicole — THRIVE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH has raised concerns of misconduct by the R.I. Office of Health and Human Services with state leaders. In January, the office alleged that Thrive had engaged in $1.3 million in fraudulent billing practices. / PBN FILE PHOTO/NICOLE DOTZENROD

PROVIDENCE – Thrive Behavioral Health, which faces accusations of $1.3 million in fraudulent billing, this week alleged that the R.I. Office of Health and Human Services is wrongly subjecting the organization to inconsistent regulatory practices. In January, the EOHHS said that an audit had found that Thrive had improperly billed more than 9,000 claims to

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PROVIDENCE – Thrive Behavioral Health, which faces accusations of $1.3 million in fraudulent billing, this week alleged that the R.I. Office of Health and Human Services is wrongly subjecting the organization to inconsistent regulatory practices. In January, the EOHHS said that an audit had found that Thrive had improperly billed more than 9,000 claims to health insurance companies and Rhode Island's Medicaid program, as reported by WPRI-TV CBS 12. Thrive, which denied those allegations, is now bringing its own accusations against the EOHHS. In a letter to R.I. Senate President Valarie J. Lawson and Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi, Ryan J. Holt, an attorney for Thrive, writes that over the last few months, EOHHS has subjected Thrive to "a series of escalating regulatory actions that, taken together, reflect a pattern of inconsistent direction, shifting interpretations and enforcement positions that are not aligned with the underlying federal billing frameworks or with prior state guidance." Holt goes on to say that EOHHS has issued "excessive and burdensome" directives, such as requests for files on all current and former employees and 1,000 individual patient records. These requests "are, at times, inconsistent and, in some instances, directly contrary to processes that were previously established, implemented or accepted by the state itself," Holt continued, adding that the tasks are straining Thrive's ability to focus on patient care. Holt also wrote that Thrive has taken multiple steps to address concerns and demonstrate transparency, such as offering to host EOHHS staff on-site and responding to audit requests. Kerri White, a spokesperson for EOHHS, said that the office will not comment due to the investigation's active status. Larry Berman and Greg Paré, spokespeople for Shekarchi and Lawson, told PBN that the legislators are "looking into" the concerns outlined in Thrive's letter, but declined to provide further comment. Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.