Home Health & Hospice Week

Another participant in a Detroit-area HHA fraud scheme has pleaded guilty.

After six of the 13 people indicted for Medicare fraud related to Oak Park, Mich.-based All American Home Care pled guilty, office manager Hassan Akhtar entered a guilty plea in federal court Sept. 27.

Akhtar helped co-conspirator Muhammad Shahab set up All American in 2008 and bill Medicare for therapy visits that were medically unnecessary or never provided, according to a release from the Department of Justice. And Akhtar, 26, helped create fictitious documentation to support the visits.

Akhtar also knew other co-conspirators paid kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries and referring physicians, the feds say. Between June 2008 and October 2009, Akhtar and his co-conspirators at All American submitted Medicare claims resulting in $4.65 million for physical and occupational therapy services that were never rendered or were medically unnecessary, the DOJ notes.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force investigated the case, the DOJ notes.