Home Health Owner and Manager Sentenced for $57 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida recently sentenced the owner and manager of three home health agencies for submitting false claims to Medicare. Khaled Elbeblawy received 240 months in prison, and was ordered to pay $36,400,957 in restitution and forfeitures. Former owners of the home health agencies had previously been charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that from 2006 to 2013, Elbeblawy and his co-conspirators submitted fraudulent claims for home health services that were either medically unnecessary or never provided. The home health agencies involved in the scheme submitted approximately $57 million in claims and received approximately $40 million from Medicare in connection with those claims. Further, Elbeblawy and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks to physicians, patient recruiters, and staffing groups in exchange for patient referrals. The case was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which has charged nearly 2,900 defendants who have collectively billed Medicare for over $10 billion.
The DOJ Justice News article is available at:
United States Department of Justice. “Former Owner and Manager of Miami-Area Home Health Agencies Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Role in $57 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme.” Justice News. 30 Aug. 2016.