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Home Health & Hospice Week

Fraud & Abuse:

Fraud-Fighting Hammer Continues To Pound Home Care

Published on Wed Jun 03, 2009

Miami, California cases fuel the home care enforcement fire. Two more cases announced by the feds show why authorities' fraud-fighting efforts in the home care industry are picking up steam. In California, former home health agency marketer Norma Abapo has been sentenced to serve 60 months in prison for health care fraud and tax violations, notes the Internal Revenue Service. According to the court documents, from 2001 to 2005 Abapo recruited Medicare beneficiaries with cash and gifts to receive home health services that they did not qualify for. Abapo worked as an independent contractor for Provident Home Health Care Services Inc., Wescove Home Health Services, Datacare Home Health Services Inc., United Life Home Health Inc., and New Star Home Health Care, the IRS notes on its Web site. Medicare paid more than $3 million to the HHAs for those bogus patients, prosecutors say. Another bust: In Miami, the feds have [...]
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