The “City of Angels” is no stranger to fake noses and questionable medical practices. In fact, just last month local physician, Lilit Gagikovna Baltaian, was arrested in Los Angeles on charges of health care fraud stemming from false home health certifications and billings to Medicare that totaled more than $6 million.
A press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) claims that “Baltaian allegedly falsely certified patients to receive home health care from at least four Los Angeles area home health agencies. Baltaian’s false certifications were used by the home health agencies to fraudulently bill Medicare for the unnecessary home health care”.
With the allegedly fraudulent Medicare invoices that court documents show ranged from 2012 to 2018, Baltaian would have been able to pocket the cash from business referrals and submit claims for unnecessary treatments and injections, according to US Trial Attorney Emily Culbertson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section that is prosecuting the case.
Because of their location and the relative lack of oversight from other physicians, home health services tend to be an easy target for health care fraud schemes. These services rendered at the patient’s home can range anywhere from providing a quick injection, to teaching a family member how to properly care for a patient. In this particular case, “prosecutors allege Baltaian and the home health agencies knew the certifications were false, or not necessary, before the agencies submitted claims to Medicare”, reports the Los Angeles Daily News.
If found guilty of all four charges of health care fraud, Baltaian could face up to 40 years in prison. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force has gone after physicians and medical facilities aggressively since its inception in 2007. If you are under investigation for health care fraud, set up a consultation with our team at Padula Law that has years of experience on the inner workings of the DOJ.
