Michigan Home Health Agency Owner Charged in Connection with $2.6 Million Home Health Care Scheme | WPN World People News

An owner of a Detroit-area home health agency has been charged for her alleged role in a $2.6 million home health care scheme involving the payment of kickbacks to patient recruiters and physicians for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jarod Koopman of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Detroit Field Office made the announcement.

Rahmat Begum, 48, of Farmington Hills, Michigan, was charged in a six-count indictment, unsealed, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, false statements relating to health care matters, conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and money laundering.

According to allegations in the indictment, Begum co-owned and operated Empirical Home Health Care Inc., an Oakland County, Michigan, home health agency that purported to provide in-home health care services to Medicare beneficiaries. Begum allegedly paid kickbacks to patient recruiters and physicians for their referral of Medicare beneficiaries to Empirical Home Health Care. The indictment also alleges that Begum laundered the proceeds of the scheme through a company known as Focal Project Management Consulting.

According to the indictment, Medicare paid Empirical approximately $2,661,331 for false and fraudulent home health care claims where the referrals were obtained through the payment of kickbacks.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice