I believe this may be the case that Bill Dombi mentioned in his presentation during the opening general session on Sunday at the NAHC annual conference:
LOS ANGELES, CA (AP) — The San Diego-based owner of California’s two largest home health care businesses has pleaded guilty to health care fraud that cost Medicare 40 million dollars.
Lourdes ”Lulu” Perez entered the plea yesterday in federal court as part of a settlement in which she, her husband and her two businesses repaid nearly 34 million dollars to the government.
Perez is scheduled to be sentenced on October 16th. Prosecutors have recommended that the 53-year-old be sentenced to 46 months in prison, but she could get up to 59 years.
Perez was the owner of Los Angeles-based Provident Home Health Care and San Dimas-based Tri-Regional Home Health Care. Prosecutors say the businesses billed Medicare for work that was never performed.
Former provident nursing director Margaret Tan has cooperated with the prosecutors’ investigation. She’s scheduled to enter a plea October 23rd.