Ypsilanti-area health care facilities implicated in Medicare scams
Three of the 22 Michigan residents indicted by the federal government in a national crackdown on Medicare fraud Wednesday were connected with health care facilities in Ypsilanti Township.
Badar Ahmadani
Wednesday’s indictment added Ahmadani and Ashford to the case file. The two were charged with fraud and paying and receiving kickbacks.
The trio are allegedly responsible for more than half -- or $33 million -- of the $58 million in fraudulent billings the 22 individuals are responsible for statewide.
Officials claim the scam involved billing faulty claims to Medicare through health facilities owned or co-owned by Mehmood in Ypsilanti Township and Detroit: Access Care Home Care Inc., located at both 4640 Nutmeg Drive and 850 S. Hewitt Road in Ypsilanti Township; Patient Care Home Care Inc., located at 850 S. Hewitt Road in Ypsilanti Township; Hands On Healing Home Care Inc., located at 3031 W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit and All State Home Care Inc., located at both 4640 Nutmeg Drive in Ypsilanti and 3031 W. Grand Blvd. in Detroit.
According to court records, Ashford and Ahmadani are accused of helping pay off patients and physicians in the scheme. Mehmood allegedly paid Ashford $220,000 in kickbacks to pay a patient recruiter. Ahmadani, who owned Hands on Healing in Detroit along with Mehmood, is charged with paying physicians and their employees to refer patients for home health care.
It was during this “home health care,” as well as for physical therapy offered by the facilities, that Medicare was billed for services that were “unnecessary” or, in some cases, nonexistent, according to the indictment.
It read: “The Medicare beneficiaries would receive cash and other remuneration in exchange for their Medicare numbers and signing documents making it appear they had received treatments being billed to Medicare, when in fact, such treatments were medically unnecessary and were not provided.”
The alleged scam ran from March 2007 to November 2011.
The 107 people arrested nationwide in Wednesday’s big bust are thought to have billed $452 million in bum claims to Medicare.
Eighteen of the 22 defendants in Michigan were either arrested Wednesday morning or were expected to surrender this week. Four defendants remain at large, according to a release from the Department of Justice.
Law enforcement agents also executed search warrants at nine locations and seized 14 bank accounts related to the alleged fraud schemes.
Editor's note: This article has been revised to indicate that the facilities are in Ypsilanti Township.
Comments
Jack
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 7:08 p.m.
I hope all of these people get more than just a slap on the wrist. The patients should be denied benefits for life, the doctors disbarred for life, the possessions of all involved confiscated, and all should do major jail time, particular the masterminds of this plot to rip off American taxpayers and seniors and others who legitimately qualify for Medicare services. The amount of money they fraudulently obtained is obscene; it will never be recovered. It is really an extraordinaryly low thing to do.
Cash
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 3:36 p.m.
Right folks...no one rips of BCBS or other healthcare insurers, do they? Ha!!!! Very funny. Single payer, multiple payers, fear not, crooks and cheats are waiting. Medicare/Medicare covers elderly and poor thus they are easier prey for crooked drs etc. Cleaning up the system as is being done in this case is the answer. Not the myopia of "singer payer" being the problem. Crooks are the problem ..... and they prey on everyone and all insurers. Just ask your provider.
pseudo
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
In ypsilanti TOWNSHIP please. The address are in Ypsilanti TOWNSHIP. please correct.
mermaid72
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 3:12 p.m.
Please tell me if there are good things that happen in Ypsilanti, as I only hear about the bad. Actually, I would be somewhat nervous about visiting there!
Cindy Heflin
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 3:11 p.m.
That change has been made. Thank you.
russellr
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 2:26 p.m.
Let me tell you there needs to be some checks and balances here. I see tons of waste and stealing, Medicare was set up to help the helpless. I don't mind paying toward that but there is too much robbing the system. Also these people calling an ambulance because they have a itchy butt is rediculus. They should have to pay for it if the docter says they do not need to come in an ambulance. That is our tax dollars at work!!! No checks and balances that's why we are going broke.
nickcarraweigh
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 2:08 p.m.
I may not care how the surgeon gets paid, but I care a great deal about who is holding the scalpel.
Silly Sally
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 1:53 p.m.
This is a perfect reason why a single payer system is SO BAD. The beneficiaries do not care who pays, since it is not them. If it were their money, it would not be happening. It will get worse under Obamacare, as it will only be expanding.
pseudo
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 1:10 p.m.
These addresses are Ypsilanti Township addresses - not Ypsilanti City addresses - might be good to correct this to "Ypsilanti Township-based " accuracy counts
treetowncartel
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 12:43 p.m.
Medicare, Medciacaid and healthcare reimbursements in general are the gold rush of our era. People from other countries are flocking here to fleece they system, and then we have those that are already citizens doing the same. The people who gave away their information, the beneficiaries, need to be axed from the system. The mechanisms are in place in the law but they never use them. Until that happens individuals like these three wil have carte blanche access to tax payer money for doing nothing. Healthcare is a privilege, not a right.
M.
Wed, May 9, 2012 : 5:34 a.m.
ugh treetown I wasn't stating what the statues are for hospitals lol just common sense
treetowncartel
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 2:38 p.m.
Wrong, ERs that participate in federal healthcare can't discharge you until they are stable under EMTALA, a federal statute and not the constitution(Bill of rights).
M.
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 1:47 p.m.
Sorry, but healthcare is a right. Stealing is NOT a right or a privilege, but I have the absolute right to life as stated in the Bill of Rights. Healthcare is a necessity in life, which makes it different than a privilege such as driving a car. That's why ER staff can't reject you, even if you don't have insurance and already owe the hospital a debt.
AfterDark
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 12:09 a.m.
Mehmood was/is President of the group suing Pittsfield Township for rejecting plans for an Islamic school in the Golfside/Ellsworth area.
LB05
Sat, May 5, 2012 : 1:10 a.m.
No, Zafar Mehmood is in no way affiliated with Michigan Islamic Academy/ MCA which is the group mentioned on this post.
Basic Bob
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 6:34 p.m.
I'm calling BS. He IS president of Masjid Bilal, which is the mosque on Michigan Avenue. They are NOT part of the federal lawsuit.
glimmertwin
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 12:27 p.m.
Wow! I must admit that I had some empathy for that school. But if their leader turns out to be a crook, than my feelings just changed.
Arborcomment
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 12:08 a.m.
This will all be fixed under Obamacare.
Arborcomment
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 10:39 p.m.
Yes
Jack
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 7:01 p.m.
And just how will it all be fixed under Obamacare? You are being facetious, right?
Silly Sally
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 1:52 p.m.
This is a perfect reason why a single payer system is SO BAD. The beneficiaries do not care who pays, since it is not them. If it were their money, it would not be happening. It will get worse under Obamacare.
RJA
Fri, May 4, 2012 : 12:06 a.m.
OMG, this seem so UN-REAL but guess it is REAL! Thanks and good Job to all Lae Enforcement!