California physician pleads guilty to $1.4M Medicare fraud scheme

California physician Lilit Baltaian, MD, has pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud related to her false home health certifications and fraudulent billings. 

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From around January 2012 to July 2018, Dr. Baltaian falsely certified patients to receive home healthcare from at least four Los Angeles area home health agencies, the Justice Department said in a Nov. 21 news release. 

In exchange for cash, Dr. Baltaian pre-signed blank, undated physician certification forms knowing that the home health agencies would later falsify forms to support the patients’ need for home health care. 

The scheme resulted in a loss to Medicare of at least $1,449,050.

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