Home Health & Hospice Week

A Medicaid home care fraud investigation in Washington, D.C. has led to the arrests of 20 individuals ranging from agency owners to aides. "The arrests — marking the largest health care fraud takedown in the history of the District of Columbia — followed a multi-year effort by federal and local law enforcement agencies to target widespread fraud in the District of Columbia Medicaid program," the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office says in a release. "More than 200 law enforcement agents fanned out across the region … to make arrests, execute search warrants at 10 locations, and seize dozens of bank accounts and property."

"The investigation uncovered numerous, separate schemes involving fraud, kickbacks, and false billings," the release says. HHAs involved include Global Healthcare Inc., Flo-Diamond Inc., Ultimate Goal Home Care Agency Inc., Immaculate Health Care Services, and Nursing Unlimited Services Inc. The schemes ranged from an excluded individual with revoked nursing licenses concealing her identity to run three agencies to patient recruiters paying kickbacks to beneficiaries for their patient information.