Three people have been convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and five counts of healthcare fraud by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.
According to court records, Yaroslav “Steven” Proshak, Emilia Zverev, and Sharetta Michelle Wallace were connected to and convicted in the case. Proshak is the owner and operator of Los Angeles-based ProMed Medical Transportation, an ambulance transportation company providing Medicare beneficiaries with non-emergency ambulance transportation. Zverev was a billing manager and Wallace supervised emergency medical technicians (EMTs) for ProMed.
Evidence submitted to the court during the trial was gathered in the years 2008 and 2010. The evidence showed that the defendants plotted to bill Medicare for ambulance and transportation services that the company knew were unnecessary. Two of the defendants in the case told ProMed EMT’s to obscure patient’s medical conditions by making changes to paperwork and to create fraudulent documents that erroneously would specify that the transportation services were needed.
The Medicare Fraud Task Force presented evidence during the trial that showed ProMed as having submitted $2.4 million in false and fraudulent Medicare claims for the unneeded ambulance transportation services. Medicare paid the company for $1.2 million of the falsified claims that ProMed submitted.
Healthcare fraud is a crime that impacts everyone. The result of fraudulent claims that are submitted to government agencies such as Medicare and Medicaid and to other healthcare companies and agencies often directly contribute to the extremely high price of health care in United States. Ultimately, it means that patients and their families end up paying higher insurance premiums and deductibles as a result.
If you suspect that there may be health care fraud when dealing with any medical procedure or claim, contact the law offices of Bottar Law PLLC today. We are here for you and to protect your rights. When you call our offices, we can schedule free consultation and legal analysis to discuss your case.