Registered nurse convicted in $20 million home healthcare fraud scheme involving two agencies
Nurse participated in Medicare fraud scheme where government was billed for home health services that weren't provided, needed.
A registered nurse and home health company owner has been convicted of conspiracy and multiple counts of healthcare fraud in a $20 million dollar scheme to defraud Medicare, the Department of Justice announced.
Evelyn Mokwuah of Pearland, Texas was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of healthcare fraud for her role in a scheme connected to her two companies Beechwood Home Health and Criseven Health Management Corporation.
Citing evidence from her trial, the scheme ran from 2008 to 2016. Mokwuah, along with co-conspirators, participated in a scheme to defraud Medicare of approximately $20 million in fraudulent claims for home health services that weren't provided or were not medically necessary, the DOJ said. Mokwuah billed for patients who were not homebound or didn't qualify for home health services, and she and co-conspirators falsified patient records to portray non-homebound patients as homebound.
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The DOJ also said Mokwuah paid patient recruiters to bring in Medicare beneficiaries her two home health companies, and paid doctors to certify falsified plans of care for those beneficiaries so her companies could bill Medicare for services.
Mokwuah's sentencing is scheduled for October 6.
Twitter: @BethJSanborn
