Home Health & Hospice Week

Industry Note:

Home Care Therapist Tops OIG's Fugitive List

An indicted physical therapist in the large home care fraud schemes that took place in the Detroit area is one of the HHS Office of Inspector General’s most wanted fugitives.

In August 2011, Janaki Chettiar was indicted on Medicare fraud charges, the OIG notes. Chettiar was a registered PT who allegedly performed physical therapy services for Physicians Choice Home Health Care, First Care Home Health Care, and Quantum Home Care Inc., all located in Livonia, Mich. Medicare paid Chettiar and her co-conspirators about $13.8 million in false claims for services that were never provided, the OIG says.

Chettiar and her co-conspirators fabricated home health certifications, plans of care, therapy notes, evaluations, recertifications, discharges, and other records to bill Medicare for home care therapy, the OIG says. She fled the country after her initial court appearance and may be in India or Canada, the feds believe. v

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