Justice Department launches new effort to fight elder fraud
By
Lois A. Bowers
Jun 14, 2019
The Department of Justice has established a new Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to coordinate action against foreign-based fraud schemes that target U.S. older adults, Attorney General William Barr...
Assisted living company could pay more than $3 million for Medicaid fraud discovered after murder
By
Lois A. Bowers
May 28, 2019
The owner of an assisted living company has been sentenced to five years in jail, and the company will have to pay a fine of up to $2.05 million for Medicaid fraud that was discovered after a murder took...
Podiatrist to pay $966,000 for fraudulent assisted living billing
By
Lois A. Bowers
May 22, 2019
An Arizona podiatrist has been sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $965,985 in restitution to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services after he admitted submitting false claims for...
Lab sales rep sentenced for $430,000 in Medicare fraud involving senior housing residents
By
Lois A. Bowers
May 15, 2019
A laboratory sales representative has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for defrauding the Medicare program of more than $430,000 while convincing residents of affordable senior housing...
Older adults lose $649 million in internet scams in 2018, FBI says
By
Lois A. Bowers
Apr 24, 2019
The statistic was part of the “2018 Internet Crime Report” released Monday by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Low scam awareness may predict later dementia diagnosis
By
Lois A. Bowers
Apr 22, 2019
An older adult’s low awareness of scams may be an indicator that he or she may receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment in the future, according to the results of a new...
Esformes will appeal convictions on 20 charges in $1.3 billion healthcare fraud case
By
Lois A. Bowers
Apr 08, 2019
Former assisted living facility and nursing home owner Philip Esformes plans to appeal a jury’s finding, announced Friday, that he is guilty of 20 charges in a case that the federal government is calling...
Philip Esformes found guilty on more than 20 charges in healthcare fraud case
By
Lois A. Bowers
Apr 05, 2019
Philip Esformes, the owner of multiple Miami-area assisted living and skilled nursing facilities accused in 2016 of orchestrating a $1 billion healthcare fraud scheme, has been found guilty on more than...
Medicaid anti-fraud efforts result in 16 assisted living convictions, $241,798 in recoveries in 2018,...
By
Lois A. Bowers
Mar 26, 2019
Efforts by state Medicaid Fraud Control Units resulted in a total of 16 criminal convictions and $241,798 in criminal and civil monetary recoveries related to assisted living in fiscal year 2018, according...
The government is broadening its enforcement umbrella, and it means heightened scrutiny and reporting responsibility for those providing care and services to older adults.