NASHVILLE – A Franklin County medical doctor has been charged with TennCare fraud. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) today arrested Dr. Floyd Brown, 54, an osteopathic specialist, of Estill Springs. He is charged with two counts of TennCare fraud for making false statements and concealing income information from TennCare. Read Press Release

State Medicaid Probe Obtains $7 Million Repayment

STATE MEDICAID PROBE OBTAINS $7 MILLION REPAYMENT

Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today announced that Americare Certified Special Services, Inc. (Americare), a Brooklyn based certified home health agency, has agreed to pay $7 million as part of a resolution of an investigation whether it had improperly billed Medicaid for services rendered to residents in adult homes. Home Health Agencies such as Americare provide health care to persons living in their own homes, and also in “adult homes” which are residential facilities that do not provide skilled nursing care.

Nursing home fraud alleged in indictments (Jefferson City News Tribune) - ST. LOUIS (AP) - A federal grand jury returned indictments Thursday on charges that several nursing home operators conspired to defraud Medicare and Medicaid by collecting payments for services they did not provide to their residents.

Press Release from: McGregor W. Scott, United States Attorney, Eastern District of California

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Patty Pontello, 916-554-2706
November 15, 2005

DOCTORS ACCUSED OF PERFORMING UNNECESSARY HEART SURGERIES AT REDDING MEDICAL CENTER AGREE TO PAY MILLIONS TO SETTLE FRAUD ALLEGATIONS AND ACCEPT RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR MEDICAL PRACTICE

• The Agreement Preserves the Right to Revoke the Doctors’ Licenses and Exclude Them From the Medicare Program.

Press Release: US Dept of Justice, US Attorney, Southern District of Texas, Chuck Rosenberg

November 17, 2005

John Yembrick
Public Affairs Specialist
P. O. Box 61129 Houston, TX 77208
Phone: 713/567-9388 Fax: 713/718-3389
CONTACT US

GRAND JURY INDICTS TWO FOR FAKE FLU VACCINE

(HOUSTON, TX) – United States Attorney Chuck Rosenberg today announced the unsealing of a 14-count federal indictment charging Iyad Abu El Hawa, 35, of Houston, and Martha Denise Gonzales, 48, of Baytown, with conspiracy and tampering with a consumer product. These charges stem from an investigation into a scheme to administer fake flu vaccines at several Houston-area locations. The investigation began in October 2005 after the FBI received information that fake flu vaccines may have been given at a health fair sponsored by ExxonMobil for its Baytown refinery employees.

Press Release: US Dept of Justice, US Attorney, Southern District of Texas, Chuck Rosenberg

November 17, 2005

John Yembrick
Public Affairs Specialist
P. O. Box 61129 Houston, TX 77208
Phone: 713/567-9388 Fax: 713/718-3389

(HOUSTON, TX) United States Attorney Chuck Rosenberg today announced the verdicts of a federal jury convicting Dr. Anant Mauskar, 72, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and receiving kickbacks as a result of a scheme that cost Medicare and Medicaid health care benefit programs millions of dollars in losses due to fraudulent claims. Charged with a total of 24 counts of health care fraud in connection with Medicare and Medicaid claims for physical therapy services and durable medical equipment, Mauskar was convicted of 20 of those counts and acquitted of four.

According to the article by Judith R. Tackett, TennCare is increasing their focus on beneficiary fraud through their new Office of Inspector General:

“Faulkner, who was appointed by Gov. Phil Bredesen in July 2004 to establish the state’s Office of Inspector General, said Tennessee is ahead of the game when it comes to fighting TennCare fraud. Her office targets TennCare recipients committing fraud while the TBI concentrates on provider fraud.

U.S. Newswire : Releases : “Kansas Couple Convicted on Involuntary Servitude Charges…”

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 /U.S. Newswire/ — The Justice Department announced today that Arlan Kaufman, 69, and his wife, Linda Kaufman, 62, were convicted on federal charges for forcing mentally ill patients to perform sexually explicit acts on videotape and to perform physical labor in the nude. The jury found Arlan Kaufman guilty on 31 federal counts and Linda Kaufman guilty on 30 federal counts, including involuntary servitude, forced labor, conspiracy, healthcare fraud, mail fraud, and Medicare fraud.

After string of successful fraud prosecutions, Sullivan takes on medical device makers

BY JEREMY OLSON

Pioneer Press

A watchdog of the pharmaceutical industry is turning his attention to the marketing practices of the medical device industry.

Michael Sullivan, the U.S. attorney for the Massachusetts district, has earned more than $3.3 billion for the federal government through health care fraud lawsuits. His biggest cases challenged whether drug makers used kickbacks or other improper methods to sell their products.

From the North Country Gazette:

“The owner of a Westchester County transportation company has admitted to stealing more than $400,000 from the state Medicaid program by fraudulently billing for hundreds of rides that never took place and for rides that were not authorized by medical practitioners.

Meir Sassoon, president of Saswitz Corporation, appeared before Westchester County Court Judge Rory J. Bellantoni, on Sept.1 and pleaded guilty to every count of an indictment which charged him with one count of grand larceny in the second degree and 25 counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree. The defendant agreed to make full restitution to the New York State Medicaid program, in the sum of $437,845.51, before sentencing on Sept. 28.. Saswitz Corporation previously pled guilty to grand larceny in the second degree.