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Feds Charge 94 Suspects in Five-city Medicare Fraud Sweep

John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, July 16, 2010

 

  • In Miami, 24 people were charged for allegedly participating in schemes that led to $103 million in false billings. The defendants include owners of companies, doctors, nurses, and patient recruiters, as well as a medical biller who is alleged to have billed approximately $49 million for fraudulent services.
  • In Baton Rouge, 31 people were charged in schemes involving fraudulent claims for DME totaling approximately $32 million. The defendants include the owners of nine different purported medical services companies, four doctors, 14 patient recruiters and others.
  • In Brooklyn, 22 people were charged with filing fraudulent claims totaling $78 million. These schemes involved false billing for physical and occupational therapy and DME. The defendants include the owners, patient recruiters and employees at three different medical clinics and a medical equipment company, and three doctors. Six defendants are Medicare beneficiaries, who allegedly sought treatment from numerous providers, causing the submission of multiple claims to Medicare.
  • In Detroit, 11 people at five medical services companies were charged in schemes to submit fraudulent $35 million in bogus claims for home health services, nerve conduction tests and injection and infusion therapy sessions.
  • Four defendants were charged in Houston for their alleged roles in a $3 million scheme to submit fraudulent claims for DME.

    In addition to the arrests, law enforcement agents are executing search warrants for ongoing healthcare fraud investigations.

    Since its inception in March 2007, the Strike Force has obtained indictments of more than 810 people and organizations that collectively have billed Medicare for more than $1.85 billion.

    • John Commins is a senior editor with HealthLeaders Media.

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