19 PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENTS INDICTED IN $4 MILLION FAKE HOME HEALTHCARE FRAUD SCHEME. (PHOTO)

 

19 Pennsylvania residents indicted in $4 million fake home healthcare fraud scheme

The U.S. Justice Department has charged 19 people in Pennsylvania with allegedly defrauding Medicare and Medicaid through schemes involving thousands of hours of home healthcare services that were never provided.

The alleged schemes involved more than $4 million in fraudulent claims. Those charged include home healthcare aides and owners of home healthcare companies accused of submitting false claims for services supposedly provided to Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

In one case, an aide allegedly billed for healthcare services while incarcerated, while another reportedly submitted claims while hospitalized. Together with two Medicaid recipients involved in the alleged scheme, the defendants accounted for more than $440,000 in claims.

Prosecutors described the alleged conduct as deliberate fraud rather than simple accounting mistakes, saying defendants billed taxpayers for services that were never performed and, in some cases, for unnecessary medical care.

One defendant allegedly claimed to provide services to as many as seven Medicaid recipients at the same time. Investigators said the person reported working more than 24 hours in a single day on more than 1,000 occasions, resulting in claims for more than 64,000 hours of care.

Another home healthcare aide allegedly reported more than 8,700 hours that overlapped with other claimed work hours.

Authorities also allege that several defendants submitted claims for services in the United States while they were actually outside the country. Investigators said some claims were submitted while aides were traveling through the Caribbean and Europe.

In another alleged example, a defendant posted photographs on social media showing himself relaxing beside a resort pool in Miami while reportedly claiming to be working as a home healthcare aide.

Federal officials said the cases demonstrate the significant impact healthcare fraud can have on government programs and patients who depend on them.

Authorities emphasized that the allegations are criminal charges and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.