According to a federal indictment unsealed yesterday, four home health agencies in Detroit and Chicago schemed to bilk $22M out of the Medicare system before authorities stepped in to stop them. The scheme involved billing Medicare for home health services that were unnecessary  or never performed and in some instances bribing beneficiaries for their billing information.  The companies implicated were: Royal Home Health Care Inc., Prestige Home Health Services Inc., Platinum Home Health Services Inc., and Empirical Home Health Care Inc.  An FBI statement lists the individuals charged and the various allegations:

Muhammad Aamir, 42; Usman Butt, 39; Hemal Bhagat, 31; Syed Shah, 50; Tariq Tahir, 46; and Raquel Ellington, 56, of the Detroit area; and Tayyab Aziz, 43, from the Chicago area, each are charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. All but Aziz are also charged with health care fraud and with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. Butt, Bhagat, Shah, and Aziz are additionally charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Reports of home health agencies being paid by Medicare for unnecessary and inappropriate services are becoming more and more commonplace. To report home health fraud, contact Frohsin & Barger.