Home Health Owner Admits Role in $4 Million Fraud

The former owner and operator of a home health agency in the Detroit area has pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme that defrauded the government of $4 million in Medicare payments.

Sentencing for 49-year-old Naseem Minhas is scheduled for Sept. 6, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.

Minhas was owner and operator of TriCounty Home Care Services Inc., based in the greater metropolitan area of Detroit. He also was a licensed physical therapist, and he assisted in creating fake patient files that made it appear as though people needed and received services that were not actually necessary or provided, the DOJ stated.

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In addition, Minhas paid a physician and recruiters to refer patients to TriCounty and certify them for home health services, according to admissions in his a plea agreement.

As a result of this wrongdoing, Medicare reimbursed TriCounty to the tune of $4 million between February 2009 and November 2013, Minhas admitted.

Detroit is one of several cities nationwide in which new home health agencies are not currently allowed. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) imposed the moratoria in these areas after identifying them as fraud hotspots.

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Written by Tim Mullaney

Photo credit: “Courtroom One Gavel” by Joe Gratz, Public Domain

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