An employee of a Detroit home health company pleaded guilty last week for her role in a Medicare fraud conspiracy, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Dana Sharma, 30, of Detroit, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Denise Hood in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Sharma worked at several home health companies, including First Choice Home Health Care Services Inc. and Reliance Home Care LLC, where she and other conspirators agreed to summit false claims to Medicare for home health services, according to court documents.
Documents reveal that Sharma organized and maintained company patient files, knowing that these files contained falsified patient visit notes that created the false impression that home health care had been provided to patients.
Sharma also admitted that she know these documents would be used by companies to submit false claims to Medicare for home health services that were either not medically necessary or were not provided at all.
Between 2007 and May 2012, Sharma assisted the home health companies to submit claims to Medicare for such services, which in turn caused Medicare to pay these companies $923,286. according to court documents.
At sentencing, scheduled for August 1, 2013, Sharma faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Written by Jason Oliva
Companies featured in this article:
First Choice Home Health Care Services Inc., Reliance Home Care LLC
