January 4, 2016

Hovik Simitian, the former owner and operator of three medical clinics located in Los Angeles — Columbia Medical Group Inc., Life Care Medical Clinic and Safe Health Medical Clinic — was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in submitting more than $4.5 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare.  Simitian admitted paying illegal cash kickbacks to patient recruiters who brought Medicare beneficiaries to the clinics and for billing Medicare for lab tests and other services that were not medically necessary or actually provided, which he supported with false documentation.  DOJ

Tagged in: Anti-Kickback and Stark, Healthcare Fraud, Laboratory and IDTF, Lack of Medical Necessity, Medical Billing Fraud,