There are many different types of whistleblower claims that involve physicians and other medical providers defrauding the government. Some of the most common involve Stark Law violations. Stark Law was enacted over two decades ago and was meant to ensure that patients receive the best care possible, and that physicians…
Every day we hear shocking news about the opioid epidemic, from the number of deaths from overdoses to the sheer amount of distribution arrests to the amount of money government is spending to combat the problem. One of the areas that the public may not know about, however, is how…
With the development of big data and predictive analytics, it is easier today than ever before to detect and prevent healthcare fraud. Gone are the days of lengthy, old-fashioned investigation, and here to stay are new technologies that can identify fraudulent activities automatically and instantly. By parsing through big data…
In mid-April, Aharon Aron Krkasharyan, 54, a former employee of Mauran Ambulance Inc. (Mauran) of San Fernando, was sentenced for his part in a health care fraud scheme. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in November 2017. U.S. District Judge George H. Wu…
In early April, two executives for a business offering alcohol and drug abuse treatment services were arrested for healthcare fraud. Mesbel Mohamoud, 45, and Erlinda Abella, 63, both of Inglewood, are accused of submitting bills to Medi-Cal for services that were either not provided or were not eligible for reimbursement.…
On March 8, the Riverside County District Attorney announced that four men had been arrested in connection with an $8 million health care fraud scheme. The men were Jeffrey D. Ogletree, of Meridian, Idaho; Brian Andrew La Porte, of Poway, California; Dennis Davin Bonavilla, of Murrierta, California; and Babar Iqbal,…
Scripps Health, a San Diego-based health care system, will pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations of False Claims Act (FCA) violations. Scripps is accused of seeking reimbursements from federal health care programs for physical therapy services rendered by therapists who lacked billing privileges. If you have any information regarding an…
On January 12, the former owner of Pacific Hospital in Long Beach, California was sentenced to 63 months in prison. The owner, Michael D. Drobot, 73, was charged with crimes related to running a 15-year health care fraud scheme. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and paying illegal kickbacks…
Physicians Vilasini Ganesh, 47, and Gregory Belcher, 56, were convicted in December of committing health care fraud and making false statements to health care programs. A federal jury found Ganesh guilty of five counts of health care fraud and five counts of making false statements relating to fraudulently submitted claims.…
The California Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) announced new suspensions twice in October. It suspended eight medical providers from participating in the state’s workers’ compensation system in early October and then three more shortly after. The total suspensions for 2017 are now up to 49. These suspensions are part of…