JABA Enterprises Inc. in Jeanerette has been ordered by the state Department of Health to stop billing for Medicaid for a period of five years. The order comes after multiple violations, according to the state.

JEANERETTE — A Jeanerette business will be prohibited from participation in the Louisiana Medical Assistance Program beginning March 2. 

After being audited through a Medicaid integrity contractor, JABA Enterprises Inc., was shown to have violated several Medicaid policy and rules that resulted in the overpayment of $198,161.

A letter regarding the exclusion was received by Jeanerette Mayor Aprill Foulcard, owner of the business, and posted by KATC-TV 3. Some of the violations include a failure to conduct mandatory supervisory visits, inadequate documentation to support billing, incomplete service logs and a failure to complete mandatory sanction checks. 

Other violations were missing documentation of annual training requirements, no evidence of annual evaluations of employees and performance of unapproved services. 

Once it begins, the exclusion period is scheduled to last five years. During that time frame, the company cannot engage in any services that involve direct or indirect billing to Medicaid. 

The businessalso cannot be employed by, contract with or have an ownership interest in any individual or entity that provides services that would be billed to Medicaid. 

The letter states that doing so would be a crime punishable by up to five years in prison as well as a maximum fine of $20,000.

The business can appeal the decision, however. 

An informal hearing can take place in which information can be presented in defense of the business. 

An administrative appeal can be requested. 

Foulcard did not reply  before deadline Tuesday night to an email asking her if she would take either avenue in an appeal.

The decision comes after several investigations took place into JABA Enterprises starting in October 2011 to the present day.