Kickbacks And Falsification Of Records At Center Of $20 Million Home Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy
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Last Tuesday Miami physician Henry Lora pled guilty to federal criminal charges arising out of a $20 million healthcare fraud conspiracy. In entering the plea, Lora admitted that as the medical director of Merfi Corporation, a Miami-area clinic, he accepted kickbacks and bribes. He also acknowledged that he, along with co-conspirators, wrote prescriptions for home healthcare and other services for Medicare beneficiaries, when those services were either not medically necessary or not provided.
Lora entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud United States, receive healthcare kickbacks and make false statements relating to healthcare matters. The fraudulent conduct for which he pled guilty included the falsification of patient records, which was done to make it appear as if the beneficiaries qualified for the services.
As a result of his plea of guilty to both counts, Lora faces a maximum combined sentence of 25 years. In 2014, the owner of Merfi, Isabel Medina, was sentenced to nine years in prison for her conviction of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud.