Home Health Care Business Operator Sentenced to Prison for $11M Medicare Fraud Scheme

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood of the Eastern District of Michigan sentenced 53-year-old Michigan resident Muhammad Shahab to 50 months in prison and three years of supervised release for perpetrating almost $11 million in Medicare fraud between August 2007 and October 2009. Shahab and his co-defendants were also ordered to pay over $10.8 million in restitution to the Medicare Program.

The Department of Justice Press Release reported that Shahab, who had helped finance and establish two Detroit-area home health agencies, pled guilty to one count of health care fraud back in February 2010. Plea documents revealed that Shahab “admitted that while operating or being associated with both health agencies, he and his co-conspirators billed Medicare for home health visits that never occurred.” Shahab, the leader of the fraud scheme, admitted that he and his co-conspirators falsely used the Medicare numbers and signatures of Medicare beneficiaries who were not homebound or needed physical therapy service on medical documentations. Shahab and his co-conspirators offered cash kickbacks and other inducements to these Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for their participation.

In addition, through kickback payments to physicians and other individuals associated with physicians, Shahab obtained physician referrals for medically unnecessary home health services. Shahab confessed to billing and receiving payments from Medicare for medically unnecessary services and services never rendered.

This case was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) designed to fight Medicare fraud.

Nationally coordinated takedowns have charged hundreds of individuals in connection with Medicare fraud and have uncovered billions of dollars in fraudulent billing. Health care providers must ensure that they have the necessary compliance plans and policies in place to detect and prevent potentially fraudulent or abusive practices. For assistance in creating a proactive compliance plan, or if you have other healthcare related questions, please contact an experienced healthcare attorney at 248-544-0888.