Undercover Grandma Medicare Fraud Investigation Earns Gracie Award

Feb. 26, 2013 — -- The Brian Ross investigation that enlisted an 82-year-old woman to go undercover to reveal alleged Medicare fraud was named today as one of ABC News' five winners of the Gracie Award.

The investigation by Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross and investigative producer Megan Chuchmach, was featured on "Nightline," "Good Morning America" and "World News With Diane Sawyer" and will be honored with the award for "Outstanding Investigative Program or Feature" at the ceremony in May.

A Gracie will also be presented to longtime "Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts, who recently returned to the show after her months-long battle with myelodysplastic syndrome or MDS.

READ: Robin Roberts' Journey: Inside Her Courageous Fight Against MDS

Also being honored are ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz for "Individual Achievement - Reporter/Correspondent," "20/20" producer Keturah Gray, and "Nightline's" "A Cry for Help: Disaster in the Desert," which covered the 2012 hunger crisis in West Africa.

For Ross' investigation, ABC News used hidden cameras and the spry 82-year-old Doris Ace, Chuchmach's grandmother, to expose an alleged Medicare fraud operation in which a Texas doctor diagnosed her with a range of ailments she did not have – diagnoses that could have opened the door to potentially tens of thousands of dollars in Medicare payments for home health care, supplies and equipment she did not need.

WATCH Exclusive: Undercover Grandma Catches Alleged Medicare Fraud on Tape

The Gracie Awards are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media and honor "programming created for women, by women and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplarity contributions to the industry."

The judging committee reported receiving a record number of entries this year and will present its awards in May in Beverly Hills.

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