BATON ROUGE — A former Louisiana Department of Health employee is accused of helping a family member defraud more than $20,000 in Medicaid benefits. 

According to the Attorney General's Office and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, they received a tip that 33-year-old Courtney Higgins helped commit government benefits fraud. 

An arrest affidavit says that Higgins, from Monroe, concealed income and marital status in order to receive Medicaid coverage. LBI agents learned that Higgins had submitted a false employment verification letter to LDH to receive the benefits.

Higgins was aware that her family member was not eligible to receive Medicaid benefits, arrest records added. Higgins' actions defrauded the Medicaid program of approximately $22,536.56, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation said.

Higgins was arrested and charged with filing false public records and government benefits fraud on Oct. 8. Her bond at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison was set at $5,000.

An additional arrest is expected, officials added.