Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to $2.5 Million Home Health Fraud

A man from Orange, Ohio admitted to overfilling Medicaid and Medicare by more than $2.5 million, according to U.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach from the Northern District of Ohio. 

Divyesh “David” C. Patel, age 39, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud. 

Patel was the owner and president of Alpine Nursing Care Inc., a home health care company located in North Randall, Ohio. He employed Belita Mable Bush as the office manager and director of provider services from June 1, 2006 through October 18, 2009, according to court documents. 

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Patel allegedly employed Bush to prepare and submit fraudulent billings to Medicaid and Medicare for reimbursement for services provided by Alpine as a home health care provider, even though Patel know that Bush had been previously convicted of a health care-related felony. 

This former conviction excluded Bush from being involved in any way with Alpine’s Medicaid and Medicare billings, according to court documents.

However, Patel was fully aware that Bush had falsified documents related to health care services allegedly provided to home health patients, where either the services were never provided or were provided to home health patients by aides that had previous criminal convictions. 

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As a result of the conspiracy, Medicaid and Medicare suffered a loss of approximately $2,564,392, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

Patel’s and Bush’s sentences will be determined by the court after review of several factors, including any prior criminal record, the defendants’ roles in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.

Bush was convicted on related charges and is scheduled to be sentenced May 28, according to the FBI.

Patel is expected to be sentenced later this year.

Written by Jason Oliva

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