The U.S. Justice Department unsealed charges Feb. 7, 2023, against 23 people in alleged fraud schemes to defraud Medicare of more than $61.5 million by paying kickbacks and bribes and billing Medicare for unnecessary medical services that were never provided.
According to court documents, two owners and operators of several home health agencies in the Detroit metropolitan area allegedly submitted approximately $50 million in fraudulent home health care claims to Medicare. They’re accused of paying bribes to other co-conspirators to recruit patients in violation of the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. These patients did not need home health care, did not qualify for home health care under Medicare rules, and in many instances were not actually provided the care for which Medicare was billed, according to a DOJ release.
The owner of a home visiting physician company working with those home health agencies was charged separately on allegations of fraudulent billing and certifying patients for medically unnecessary home health services. He reportedly fraudulently billed Medicare for $11.5 million, according to authorities.