Seven individuals had been nabbed in an alleged $3.2 million hospice fraud scheme as stress ramps up on California officers to handle waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer {dollars}.
“We wish Californians to know that we’re on it,” stated Legal professional Common Rob Bonta in a press release. “To these committing fraud: we’re watching, we’re investigating, and we’ll act.”
Felony prices had been filed towards seven alleged fraudsters related to Compassionate Contact Hospice, Religious Contact Hospice and Fountain Hospice positioned in Monterey County.
Based on the criticism, nurses and medical professionals “recruited, enrolled, and authorized sufferers for hospice providers who didn’t endure from a terminal prognosis” and even shuffled sufferers between the bogus clinics to be able to submit pretend payments for hospice providers — finally stealing $3.2 million from Medi-cal and Medicare.
Nurse Nimfa Molina; medical administrators Luis Artavia, Mark Samonte and Shomir Banerjee; and clinic homeowners Danny Lodevico, Flor Mora and Christine Nugiud-Yem every face felony fraud prices for his or her alleged roles within the billing scheme.
Obtain The California Submit App, observe us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Submit Information: Fb, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Submit Sports activities Fb, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Submit Opinion
California Submit Newsletters: Enroll right here!
California Submit App: Obtain right here!
House supply: Enroll right here!
Web page Six Hollywood: Enroll right here!
The lawyer basic’s workplace acted upon a tip from the California Board of Registered Nursing and spent years investigating the “subtle conspiracy” to defraud taxpayers, in keeping with the assertion.
The arrests come as California faces scrutiny over claims of rampant fraud within the state.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid, described California as floor zero for well being care fraud in video posted to social media.
The previous TV physician described a suspicious improve in hospice providers over the previous a number of years and visited a location in Van Nuys that he claimed was the positioning of a now-closed hospice facility that was suspended after credible allegations of fraud.
“When unhealthy actors trick sufferers into fraudulent hospice care, they don’t simply drain taxpayer {dollars}; they strip individuals of the medical care that would have helped them stay longer,” Oz stated.
“That’s unconscionable, and we’re going to drive these predators out of the system.”
Bonta’s workplace pushed again on the concept that fraud is rampant in California.
“Preventing fraud is a part of our common, ongoing work, and over time we now have constructed actual experience in figuring out abuse, holding unhealthy actors accountable, and recovering taxpayer {dollars} To recommend in any other case is simply incorrect,” Bonta stated.
