[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6227914,"mediaKeyId","3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283","parentId",3478644,"title","Blue Cross flags 'body‑brokering' and fraudulent residential treatment schemes that moved Native patients out of state","audioSeconds",5418,"startMs",7212000,"endMs",12630000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283&start=7212&end=12630","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283/thumbnail_7212000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6227914/Wyoming/Blue-Cross-flags-bodybrokering-and-fraudulent-residential-treatment-schemes-that-moved-Native-patients-out-of-state","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227914-b8377249b361ab3674be83292dd65b45/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035609&Signature=GyIrkwXlrqYhtauMuo~Cypp9JMkj2aYPkXh3gTMUIqhGxajPI6gykwb6s63dha3MxtudEcIcQ7S7MtbR59KUHy7a8pHSsu7HJIo3BugShAN0K-JPZsBfq2tLJGp5IGCEwmB3gRZ7IWXaePaXZbPL09tdz5u4oJLWw3oXU4h8JAMWsLFAB9fVq-rGf2vkSJZ0HzGElleigEGGxOrrgHTB5HVfcbmUxhY1RmD50k65B8VhTh4gGikNbks2e5b7zhn0zqXqozJ9ixYYRYb-4U6k1Odc2j2rNeTTje2qq8lauxAhiCGPxd9F3aw-rf9VnNMdfjZLxbBsldHMssXC~SPHrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wyoming Legislature","date","2025-05-24T01:20:07.193Z","article","Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming told a legislative committee that a rising fraud pattern — often called “body brokering” — has trafficked vulnerable people, including some Native American reservation residents, to out‑of‑state residential treatment sites that did not deliver promised care while billing insurers for therapy, medication management and other services.

Blue Cross general counsel Raymond Redd and clinical director Amy Skalswak described a scheme the insurer first noticed in late 2024 and into 2025: people (often unsheltered or transient) are recruited or offered transport to purported treatment facilities in other states, and those centers then submitted insurance claims even when services were minimal or unsafe.

Why it mattered to the committee: testimony and documentation suggested hundreds of claims tied to residential programs in multiple states. The insurer said many marketplace enrollments tied to those claims were suspicious or fraudulent, and that the federal marketplace’s special rules for Tribal‑related plans made the fraud easier to execute.

Blue Cross said it had tracked a sharp rise of Native American plan enrollments this year (from an expected few hundred to more than 1,300) and that a large share appears to be linked to out‑of‑state residential treatment claims. Several members of the committee and Blue Cross warned that people leaving shelters or other vulnerable settings are at risk of being moved and left far from home without needed medication or follow‑up care. “He was not receiving any type of clinical counseling. He was not receiving any medical oversight,” Amy Skalswak said of 1 member who reported being held at a facility; the plan secured his return after the facility gave him a plane ticket when staff discovered he had contacted Blue Cross.

Blue Cross and the Wyoming Department of Insurance urged wider public awareness and stronger oversight. Jill Reinking, senior health policy analyst for the Wyoming DOI, said DOI staff had raised the issue with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with members of Congress and with the NAIC. DOI issued consumer notices and is coordinating inquiries with federal regulators and the state attorney general’s office.

The insurer asked the committee for several actions: (1) encourage state and federal regulators to tighten enrollment verification on federally administered Tribal‑related marketplace plans; (2) consider legislation similar to other states that allow insurers to pause payments to suspected fraudulent providers while an investigation proceeds; and (3) adopt or revive a statutory fraud‑reporting mechanism so plans can report suspected fraud to state authorities with clear civil‑liability protections.

Committee members said the state could be a conduit for awareness and for connecting DOI, federal agencies and tribal leaders. Several committee members and Blue Cross representatives noted existing criminal prosecutions in other states tied to similar schemes and urged stronger public‑safety and consumer protections.

Ending: DOI, Blue Cross and the committee agreed to coordinate outreach to tribal communities, shelters and local social‑service providers so potential victims can be identified and returned to appropriate care; DOI and Blue Cross will continue to press federal partners (CMS, the federal exchange) for tighter verification and to explore statutory changes to speed investigations and payment holds where fraud is credible.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Select Committee on Tribal Relations, May 22, 2025 - PM","oneSentenceSummary","Blue Cross of Wyoming told a legislative panel May 20 that fraudsters have recruited vulnerable people — including reservation residents — onto marketplace health plans and transported them to out‑of‑state residential programs that billed insurers for treatment that in many cases was not provided.","taxTitle","Select Committee on Tribal Relations, Select Committees & Task Force, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",29167,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227917,"Wyoming officials probe months‑long 911 outages on Wind River Reservation after CenturyLink cuts",1700,2118000,3818000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283&start=2118&end=3818","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283/thumbnail_2118000.jpg","/articles/6227917/Wyoming/Wyoming-officials-probe-monthslong-911-outages-on-Wind-River-Reservation-after-CenturyLink-cuts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227917-5f321873a1f3c3a1106a3bccc2bfc855/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035609&Signature=ETxGdt5ESBhYc3Q3W8Ldja~EsF-XcoJKC7HbTxGKhIWBIbgMTPAp8lLvIZv54LSACNfymaQ98YcYu0-pWCCsIT64u2yH5p0gq4Ao0yezPc4B735TnHX6M2Alb63GqoAjZ4JwFyyXb7ra-Wy2T5SxSNAt8KC4OrrWjlL9X2KbuvxiR8UEQ7z1uoqZYfGbyZitWPvkkJgpgmxazzPutQltB5v2nxrP5ulAVSTmWUq49A3PHei0HGgqG5c4Qo~uk8Mpq1pVOEtdOq~haYb4n9fkuEvVB5ot15NsC8Wo91sYniDbCf5xNNBr1LIW86t3l5c~yj~M7jvsbwd2CBjSyIOiAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Wyoming legislative select committee heard May 20 that roughly 15 Wind River Reservation households lost traditional copper phone service after third‑party work damaged CenturyLink (Lumen) facilities, leaving some residents without a way to dial 911 for months.

Committee co‑chairman (Chairman Kaes) opened the session, saying the outage dates back more than six months and that some residents “are unable to dial 911, and cell service doesn't work at their location.” Lumen regulatory director Tim Kunkleman told the committee the January 6 cuts affected end‑user voice lines rather than the statewide 911 switching equipment.

The nut graf: committee members pressed Lumen, the Wyoming Public Service Commission (PSC), One Call, and a tribal internet company for details after residents and a local church reported ongoing billing notices and disconnect warnings despite having no working phone service.

Lumen said the company has worked to identify affected customers and to help them move to alternate voice service. “All of these customers, except maybe 1 … have had Internet service,” Tim Kunkleman told the committee, adding that where a fixed‑wireless or new fiber option exists, Lumen has tried to transition customers and that billed disconnect notices have been canceled: “We have corrected all those bills. We have canceled any of those … notices.” Lumen provided a call line for residents who still needed help (given on the record during the hearing).

Wyoming Public Service Commission Chairman Mike Robinson and PSC chief counsel John Burbridge said the PSC’s enforcement options are limited because CenturyLink/Lumen is regulated as a competitive provider; the PSC does not generally have direct authority over quality‑of‑service complaints for competitive carriers. Burbridge said the PSC had contacted Lumen and the governor’s and attorney general’s offices and had coordinated with One Call to see whether locate tickets existed for the work that damaged facilities.

One Call of Wyoming said its database shows locate tickets from the contractor who was building new fiber in the area but that not all facility maps are up to date for every operator. One Call told the committee it had not received specific complaints tied to the January incident in its ticket system. One Call’s representative stressed the program’s safety purpose: excavators must file tickets so utilities can mark buried facilities and prevent dangerous hits.

Representatives of Wind River Internet (the tribal provider) described a long, multi‑year build‑out to replace copper with fiber and said older copper facilities run in parallel with newer lines, complicating locates. Wind River Internet representatives said they routinely call 811 (One Call) before trenching and that they have on one occasion paid tens of thousands of dollars to repair facilities when they were at fault, but they also said some locate tickets for the contractor Lumen used (subcontractor USIC/USIC‑like locate firms) were delayed or not completed promptly.

Committee members pressed several operational points: whether utilities’ facility maps were registered in One Call, whether subcontractors working for Lumen held required local business licenses to operate on tribal trust land, and whether tribal right‑of‑way or BIA processes to cross trust land had delayed construction. Tribal representatives said some contractors had not complied with tribal registration and licensing requirements and that tribal authorities could enforce those requirements.

What the committee asked staff to do: (1) confirm whether all affected addresses are identified and connected to alternate voice service; (2) ask Lumen and its locate contractor(s) to provide One Call ticket logs tied to the incidents; and (3) work with tribal officials on right‑of‑way cross permissions where fiber build‑outs remain blocked by property‑level issues.

Why it matters locally: some reservation households have limited or no cell coverage, so wireline voice service remains the only reliable route to 911 in parts of the Wind River Reservation. Committee members repeatedly framed the outage as a public‑safety issue and asked regulators and operators to prioritize outreach to elderly or isolated customers.

Several residents and tribal leaders told the committee they had received disconnect notices despite having no working service, and a tribal provider and Lumen said those billing errors have been corrected. The committee did not take a formal vote but directed staff to follow up with the PSC, One Call and the carriers to document outstanding affected addresses and to report back to the committee.

The committee also urged carriers and One Call to improve coordination on locate ticket timing, facility maps, and tribal licensing for subcontractors working on trust land. Lumen said it would provide a contact line for any resident who still believes they have not been contacted and that it will continue outreach to help customers transition to available fixed‑wireless or fiber options.

The issue remains under active review; the PSC and One Call said they would continue to pursue complaints and coordinate with the attorney general where enforceable violations are identified.

Ending: committee staff will collect the carriers’ locate logs, a list of confirmed affected addresses, and a timeline for outreach. The committee asked the PSC and tribal governments to notify the committee if additional residents without service are identified so legislators can track whether service and emergency‑call access are restored.

","A Wyoming legislative committee heard May 20 that roughly 15 Wind River Reservation households lost traditional copper phone service after third‑party work damaged CenturyLink (Lumen) facilities, leaving some residents without a way to dial 911 for months.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227898,"Job Corps leaders warn of national closure proposal; Wind River center flags local workforce impact",2845,9466000,12311000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283&start=9466&end=12311","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283/thumbnail_9466000.jpg","/articles/6227898/Wyoming/Job-Corps-leaders-warn-of-national-closure-proposal-Wind-River-center-flags-local-workforce-impact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227898-6e7ec733901303467f6ee821752f0d3e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035609&Signature=b9s7qGb1~E5TtZFtkCEeGELVkKpjtXbWUYs4kWzy22TrJlr~gCwMJZA6L7t5JXzCWzHBC60bMg8YxavNgLgiC5dNDt5irJsDF1TzcT519Am9QE0GtMIEk3cBJemYupOSmhKLfyyXm6PA8QPAiYRgo7eE5bbR2IqxMJ6OBmnJWp79v6IAKnrNhVg01OThHxUMoNT6gibQ17prYmI00imsB~n3LgtHIuluV03HQPKqphtwvRjHk-H8jjPVh9hMVnYOzLhmLG0OK-iNSNgUL~Yk3rugeb2RTrjJSPVSqyue5~UGHq3-P7z7EsD7dc~TlK8Ym2LIDAcifWl~7U~JsbkfAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Leaders of Wind River Job Corps told the Select Committee May 20 that the U.S. Department of Labor’s fiscal‑year‑2026 budget proposal would eliminate Job Corps nationwide and that a pause on new intakes has already left thousands of prospective students in limbo.

Job Corps staff, including the Wind River center’s business engagement coordinator and training instructors, said national data show strong placement rates: the center reported that 85 percent of completers find jobs and that statewide completers average about $19–$23 per hour depending on entry pathway. Staff noted the program places many graduates into apprenticeships, union and nonunion trade jobs and college pathways.

Wind River Job Corps representatives emphasized local economic ties: the center supplies trained workers for construction, heavy‑highway and other projects, supports local resilience and community projects (soccer fields, ramps, concrete work), and works with employers on apprenticeship pipelines for major projects such as the proposed Kemmer nuclear‑adjacent construction. Staff said 50 local jobs are tied to the center and that continuing closure would affect both student opportunities and local employers.

Officials said the Department of Labor paused new enrollments in March and called for an appropriation that would eliminate Job Corps in the FY2026 proposal. Locally, the center said it continues place graduates and run community projects but warned that intake restrictions and an elimination proposal will disrupt the pipeline for apprentices and trade workers in Wyoming.

Ending: committee members and tribal leaders expressed support for the center and encouraged federal legislators to consider Job Corps’ economic and training value; center leaders asked state and local officials to help amplify worker‑development arguments to Wyoming’s congressional delegation.

","Wind River Job Corps staff told the Select Committee that a White House FY2026 budget proposal would eliminate Job Corps nationally. Staffers said the program places most graduates in trade jobs, supports local projects and employers, and warned an intake pause already implemented by the Department of Labor is keeping more than 12,000 prospective",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227903,"Wind River tribal healthcare CEO urges more funding, expanded services under 638 compact",1147,8003000,9150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283&start=8003&end=9150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283/thumbnail_8003000.jpg","/articles/6227903/Wyoming/Wind-River-tribal-healthcare-CEO-urges-more-funding-expanded-services-under-638-compact","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227903-33a31d0543b85cd33e27d7e3dbcf632b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035609&Signature=D9GFjWaAPNp3vfSyNR3i7Osk8AThcTb3abe0eR7leUuLMGx3Y7Xz6r~Gf7QQCle3TZSXpWwnTQScpPXfxXMXn9U-JwnNM4-nPAnfLL622~B8XCBfYcWbKnKSyB3wMrVS0AikI0bvOU1IGc-xwz--jdinWbAQQ5c~s~GQVgYV0ABs8v0UMme-7frwsuzLPedTNyZEDhR8Yj9K4lWnqHKkHIlUKoKSA1~y4c5nPTyJ4Q77vFCS1YHoHESFn3cz7J0b2tHnMYxSbPJDiEWnKLkWfXbXl-1W5ldtyhWJoeAHx~cuDXiIoPYdelKrt5JOoSXxGWYBIMxS580ZQnQqXQueCQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rick (CEO, Wind River Family Community Health Care) told the committee May 20 that his 638‑contracted tribal health organization has expanded services across the Wind River Reservation but remains substantially underfunded compared with national per‑capita health spending.

Why it mattered: the CEO framed the funding gap as an outcome of historical and contemporary trauma and said the reservation’s medical needs — preventive care, behavioral health and maternal services — remain under‑resourced, increasing risks for severe outcomes and avoidable intensive care stays.

Rick said the clinic now operates multiple sites, has grown behavioral‑health staff from two counselors to about 16 and is pursuing telemedicine and a joint‑venture clinic with the Indian Health Service to expand capacity. He described a transportation program that brings patients to specialty care in Denver, Salt Lake City and Billings and a locally funded local transport option for appointments.

Rick said the tribe receives a fraction of the staffing‑level funding the IHS has identified as needed and cited Public Law 93‑638 (the Indian Self‑Determination and Education Assistance Act) as the statutory framework that enables tribes to operate health programs directly. He described the long administrative path to build local capacity but said the tribal 638 model has allowed more responsive, locally governed services than direct federal provision.

Committee members praised the 638 approach and highlighted recent state policy to expand tribal Medicaid access as an important revenue source; several members also offered to help with federal funding advocacy. The CEO said he would welcome coordination with Eastern Shoshone tribal health to pursue an interoperable electronic‑health record and shared services.

Ending: committee members signaled support for continued state–tribal coordination on Medicaid and discretionary program funding; tribal health leaders said they will work with state and congressional offices on larger funding and infrastructure proposals.

","Rick (Wind River Family Community Healthcare) told the Select Committee his tribal 638‑contracted health system treats thousands with fewer than 30% of needed federal per‑capita funds. He highlighted investments in behavioral health, transportation and clinic growth and asked for continued state and federal support.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6227908,"Tribal, county and state officials describe juvenile justice strain: shortages, detention gaps and push for prevention",3946,3952000,7898000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283&start=3952&end=7898","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3478644-63641f49145b6fe1c1372d626d938283/thumbnail_3952000.jpg","/articles/6227908/Wyoming/Tribal-county-and-state-officials-describe-juvenile-justice-strain-shortages-detention-gaps-and-push-for-prevention","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6227908-2d07b1dd6dbeda67205571dd988004ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771035609&Signature=UU9Ho4NwL~N3fJqofa-kb5~GaV0IaRY-UVhBWCAHL2OVUAhygtY9fUDQ1SlsEKbyzo9xb4dXpHWRMDhf-gyOOXxYy2lr8cb0qj~QmRts7fEmdglbX51v~l6ViNsNw5Dzhs4U8nfcb0a5BwgJtxVrlApSzG0pLDPFdzcbPjJ-NjIyI35uqzqNf2ZCRilRPUYaLfyZbA~1Nnsp~jC0EKh-WyhKjHEklvN1h93~rjg87aHkrFoYYQgWFk9cAGVRQEO9~PAXuAcUr5deAN80e96m30LbfjKJZqHM6yZWDFSE0W0La9HoMMbfOlODPOkSwpF1S91aN9~5Vzp8sypKqnd9Dg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tribal and county child‑welfare officials told a legislative committee May 20 that juvenile services on the Wind River Reservation and in Fremont County face staff shortages, growing treatment needs and limited detention or placement options when a youth cannot safely remain at home.

The Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Departments of Family Services reported caseload trends that show year‑to‑year variation and an uptick in 2024. Verna Lynn Behring, Eastern Shoshone DFS director, said the tribe has signed a Title 4‑E contract with the federal government — a multi‑year effort that officials said will enhance funding and safety‑net services for children and families.

Why this matters: witnesses said prevention and culturally specific wraparound services increase the chance of reunification and reduce out‑of‑home placements, but they also said systems face practical limits when youth present acute safety risks or mental‑health and substance‑use problems.

Fremont County youth services representatives described a high volume of misdemeanor citations and steady referrals for substance use and mental‑health evaluations. Hattie Calvert, Fremont County assistant director, said the county processes roughly 400 citations a year and operates a day‑reporting center for juveniles returning from placement or at risk of school expulsion. She said alcohol‑related citations remain the largest category.

County and tribal officials described a fragmented service landscape: tribal courts, diversion programs that serve municipal and circuit referrals, district court matters for more serious felonies, and multiple pathways to treatment or the Wyoming Boys and Girls Schools. Casey Murray, executive director for Fremont County youth services, said the county’s juvenile treatment court — used to place juveniles into treatment rather than detention — provides an important local alternative and takes referrals from tribal and district courts.

Several witnesses raised a persistent operational problem: the limited availability of juvenile‑specific detention and residential treatment beds in Wyoming. Juveniles who require secure placement may be held in adult county jails while placements are located, a practice officials called far from ideal. “We have juveniles as young as 13 sitting in jail,” said a county official describing temporary holds in adult facilities while a plan is found.

Eastern Shoshone officials highlighted family‑focused goals and cultural programming. Director Behring said the tribe prioritized relative and family placements and has launched prevention and mentorship pilots to connect youth with cultural and outdoor activities. The tribe also named a probation officer and described implementing Title 4‑E as a multi‑year administrative task.

State Department of Family Services staff praised tribal‑state contracting partnerships and said the intergovernmental contract model allows more culturally appropriate services than a full state delivery model. State field administrator Sarah Saralson said the partnership has improved training and coordination and that agencies are discussing broader statewide responses where counties do not have detention or bed capacity.

Committee members asked whether confidentiality laws limit information flow between schools and DFS; state and tribal witnesses said confidentiality rules restrict some data sharing, and noted prior legislative efforts to adjust those privacy limits so schools and service providers can coordinate earlier on prevention. Several legislators offered to continue the issue during interim committee work.

Ending: officials asked for continued legislative attention to juvenile prevention funding, cross‑jurisdictional coordination, and mechanisms to expand local alternatives so fewer juveniles stay in adult jails while placements are found.

","Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Department of Family Services, Fremont County youth services and state DFS told the committee about case counts, a newly implemented Title 4‑E contract (Eastern Shoshone), juvenile treatment courts and shortages in detention options that leave some juveniles in county jails while placements are found.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Blue Cross flags 'body‑brokering' and fraudulent residential treatment schemes that moved Native patients out of state

Wyoming officials probe months‑long 911 outages on Wind River Reservation after CenturyLink cuts

Job Corps leaders warn of national closure proposal; Wind River center flags local workforce impact

Wind River tribal healthcare CEO urges more funding, expanded services under 638 compact

Tribal, county and state officials describe juvenile justice strain: shortages, detention gaps and push for prevention