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Health Care Law
Alert June 25, 2009
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CLIENT ALERT:
Summer Is Here
And So Is The "HEAT"
53 Individuals
Indicted in Detroit Medicare Fraud and Abuse Scheme
Yesterday Federal indictments were
unsealed charging 53 clinic owners, physicians, health care staff,
patients and others with submitting more than $50 million in false
claims to the Medicare program. The indictments resulted from
special Medicare fraud strike teams known as "HEAT" (Health
Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Teams).
Recently, the
U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") and Department of Health
and Human Services ("HHS") announced the expansion of
special Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams that would focus on Detroit
and surrounding community health care providers to investigate
Medicare fraud and abuse.
Federal authorities made arrests both
locally and in Miami, Florida. Some of the local
individuals indicted today include the following:
Bernice A. Brown, owner of Wayne
County Therapeutic, Inc. located in Livonia;
Suresh Chand,
owner of the following entities: TriStar Rehab Services located in
Centerline; S.U.B. Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy Center, Inc.
located in Dearborn; Continental Rehab Services Inc., and Pacific
Management Services, Inc., both located in Warren;
Denisse
Martinez and Jose Rafael Martinez, owners of RDM Center located in
Canton;
Alan Silber,
M.D., employee of RDM Center located in Canton;
Dulce Briceno,
owner of Xpress Center, Inc. located in Livonia;
Caridad
Guilarte and Clara Guilarte, operators of Dearborn Medical
Rehabilitation Center located in Dearborn; and
Daisy Martinez of Sacred Hope Center,
Inc. located in Southfield.
According to
local reports, Bernice Brown is charged with defrauding Medicare of
$21.2 million. In total, Federal authorities estimate more than
$50 million in false claims were submitted to Medicare by the
defendants. Charges brought against the defendants in this
Medicare fraud and abuse scheme include conspiracy to commit health
care fraud, participating in a scheme to defraud a health care
benefit program, money laundering, and other related charges.
If your
organization would like assistance regarding prevention of Medicare
fraud and abuse or if your organization is the subject of an
investigation and you would like assistance, please contact Gregory
W. Moore directly at (248) 988-5842 or by email at gmoore@clarkhill.com or contact
Michael W. Matthews directly at (248) 988-5870 or by email at mmatthews@clarkhill.com.
Clark Hill's
Health Care Team can assist your organization with any one or more of
the following:
· An
Overview of False Claims as well as Fraud & Abuse Laws;
· Counsel Regarding What To Do When Federal Agents Show Up;
· Responding to Subpoenas;
· Conducting Compliance Investigations; and
· The Defense of Providers Charged with Healthcare Fraud.
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To find out
more about Clark Hill and our Health Care Practice Group, visit clarkhill.com
or call 800.949.3124
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