Isabel Medina, Lerida Labrada, Mayra Flores, and German Martinez of Miami, Florida were arrested this past week after a federal indictment accused them of participating in a Medicare fraud scheme based around a clinic called Flores Home Health, a press release by the U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Florida indicates. Facing charges of conspiracy to commit health care fraud are Medina, 49; Labrada, 59; Flores, 49; and Martinez, 36. Flores and Martinez face additional charges of conspiring to defraud the United States and to receive health care kickbacks, and receipt of kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program. It is unclear whether they qualified for bail bond. It is also unclear whether the defendants hired criminal defense lawyers.
According to reports, Medina, Labrada, Flores, and Martinez worked as patient recruiters for Flores Home Health, a Miami-based home health care clinic. Flores Home Health reportedly offered services such as home health and physical therapy to Medicare recipients. However, the press release says the company took on patients who were not eligible for treatment or who did not need treatment in order to fraudulently bill Medicare. As a result, many patients either received medical services they did not need or were reported as receiving services they never received, sources say.
The defendants are accused of recruiting patients for the clinic, according to the press release. The defendants would reportedly receive kickbacks, or cash commission, for each person they convinced to sign up for the program. The press did not say how many patients the defendants were accused of recruiting, or if that number is even known.
In addition to working as recruiters, the indictment alleges that Flores and Martinez owned and ran medical clinics in Miami. From those clinics, which were not named in the release, Flores and Martinez allegedly wrote fraudulent prescriptions for Flores Home Health's owners. It is unclear what type of prescriptions the are alleged to have written.