Eight home healthcare nurses from the Miami area have been sentenced to prison for involvement in a $18.7 million Medicare fraud scheme, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
The nurses had each previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud. The sentences ranged from 5 to 30 months.
According to the release, Miami-based ABC Home Health and Florida Home Health Care Providers were owned by co-conspirators. ABC and Florida Home Health purported to provide home health and therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries.
The co-conspirators referred Medicare beneficiaries to Jorge Dieppa, MD, to obtain prescriptions, medical certifications and plans of care for therapy and home health services at ABC and Florida Home Health. As a result, Medicare was billed approximately $18.7 million for services that were medically unnecessary and/or never provided.
Read the Department of Justice release on the eight Miami nurses convicted and sentenced for healthcare fraud.
Read more about healthcare fraud:
– OIG Releases List of 10 Most-Wanted Healthcare Fraudsters
– Actavis to Pay $170M for Reporting False Prices to Medicaid
– Pharmaceutical Company Will Pay $280M to Settle False Claims Allegations
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