16 In Michigan, Including 6 Doctors, Charged In Nationwide Medicare Fraud Bust
LANSING (WWJ) - A Medicare fraud bust in Michigan and across the country has led to charges against hundreds of doctors and other health care providers accused of ripping off the government and vulnerable seniors.
The U.S. Attorney's office says in the Detroit area, 16 people — including six doctors, a social worker, a pharmacist and two physical therapists — were charged with a variety of health care fraud and kickback schemes totaling over $122 million.
U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says the probe cast a wide net.
"Doctors, patient recruiters, home health care providers, pharmacy owners and others — they are accused of an array of serious crimes ranging from conspiracy to commit health care fraud to wire fraud to money laundering," Lynch said.
The largest case in Michigan involved two physicians and three owners of hospice and home health care companies.
They were charged in an indictment with conspiring to commit health care fraud for their roles in a $58 million scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting fraudulent claims for home health care and hospice services that were medically unnecessary or not provided.
The companies, located in Livonia and are A Plus Hospice and Palliative Care, At Home Hospice and At Home Network.
