Home Health & Hospice Week

Miami leads enforcement head count.

The latest national health care fraud takedown extended its reach, but there were plenty of busts within the Strike Force areas as well.

In the Dallas area, five individuals related to A Good Homehealth, a/k/a “Be Good Healthcare Inc.,” and Essence Home Health, a/k/a “Primary Angel Inc.,” were indicted on fraud charges. The two agencies and a physician home visit practice, US Physician Home Visits, operated essentially as one operation, the feds allege. “The same employees often worked for all three companies and were often paid by all three companies,” the Department of Justice says in a release.

According to the indictment, from, 2009 to 2013, physician Noble Ezukanma and another physician in the practice certified 94 percent of the Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health services from A Good, and 65 percent of the Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health services from Essence. “More than 97 percent of USPHV Medicare patients received home health care, whether they needed it or not,” according to the release. “The indictment alleges that false certifications caused Medicare to pay more than $40 million for fraudulent home health services.” And Ezukanma concealed his ownership of the HHAs.

Also in Dallas, authorities indicted RN Mariamma Viju, co-owner and Director of Nursing for Dallas Home Health Inc. Viju stole information from hospitals to solicit patients, paid kickbacks to patients, billed Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary services and for patients who were not homebound, and falsified records to support the bogus claims.

In Louisiana, two physicians and another individual were indicted in relation to fraudulent claims billed by Christian Home Health Care Inc. The indictment alleges that the defendants falsely claimed that thousands of Medicare recipients in and around New Orleans were in need of home care services. From 2007 through 2015, Christian submitted more than $33.2 million in claims for home care services to Medicare, “the vast majority of which were fraudulent,” the DOJ alleges.

Also in the New Orleans area, Louella Givens of Maxima Home Health Services and House Call Home Health Care is charged with submitting claims for home care services that weren’t medically necessary or weren’t provided at all, the Justice Department says.

And indictments continue to roll out of the fraud hot spot areas of Detroit and Miami. In Detroit, indictments were issued related to A Plus Hospice and Palliative Care, At Home Hospice, At Home Network Inc., Cherish Home Health Services, and Empirical Home Health Care Inc. Multiple physicians were indicted in relation to bogus orders for home care and prescription drugs.

Although indictments in the Miami area mostly focused on prescription drug and mental health services fraud this time around, there were still some home care companies represented. The owners of RPH Home Health were indicted for fraud related to paying kickbacks for bogus home care orders and physical therapy documentation, and for receiving kickbacks for recruiting patients for another HHA, according to the DOJ. And five individuals related to USA Home Care Solution Agency Corp. were indicted on a laundry list of counts including kickbacks and false billing. Nine more were indicted in schemes related to a physician clinic and D&D&D Home Health Care Inc. and Mercy Home Care Inc.; Professional Medical Home Health and Longcare Home Health Corp.; Willsand Home Health agency and JEM Home Health Care Inc.; and Gold Care Home Health Services.

Independent patient recruiters were also singled out: Yovani Suarez and Idelia Florat Viamontes were indicted on charges including those for kickbacks, the DOJ says.

In Chicago, three cases being prosecuted involve HHAs, the DOJ notes in a release. Nine defendants, including physicians, face charges ranging from kickbacks to submitting false claims. The case against Donnarich Home Health Care Inc., Josdan Home Health Care Inc., and Pathways Home Health Services charges employees including non-supervisory RNs. 

Note: Details about the cases are in releases from U.S. Attorney Generals’ offices available via links at http://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/enforcement/criminal/index.asp.