Miami Clinic Owner Gets 9 Years for $20M Medicare Scam

MIAMI, FL – Isabel Medina, 49, of Miami, will spend the next nine years in federal prison after being sentenced today for her central role in a sprawling $20 million Medicare fraud scheme. The owner and operator of Merfi Corp., a Miami medical clinic, Medina was handed a 108-month sentence by U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro of the Southern District of Florida, along with three years of supervised release and a hefty $8,437,393 restitution order.

The scheme, detailed in court documents, revolved around Merfi Corp. and its network of physicians and medical professionals. Medina and her co-conspirators allegedly funneled fraudulent prescriptions for home health and therapy services to Flores Home Health Care Inc. and other agencies, along with patient recruiters, in exchange for kickbacks and bribes. The operation wasn’t about patient care; it was about exploiting a vulnerable system for personal gain.

Flores Home Health and its cohorts then billed Medicare for services that were either medically unnecessary or never actually provided, raking in millions in illicit profits. The investigation, a joint effort by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), revealed Medina’s involvement in multiple fraudulent home health companies, contributing to a total loss exceeding $20 million to the Medicare program. Medina pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud on January 7, 2014.

“This sentencing should serve as a stark warning to anyone considering exploiting the Medicare system for personal enrichment,” stated U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida. “We will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute those who defraud our healthcare programs and steal taxpayer dollars.” Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office echoed this sentiment.

The case was prosecuted as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a nationwide initiative that has charged over 1,700 defendants responsible for more than $5.5 billion in fraudulent claims since its inception in 2007. Trial Attorney A. Brendan Stewart of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section led the prosecution. The Strike Force, currently operating in nine cities, aims to dismantle these criminal networks and protect the integrity of Medicare.

Federal authorities are urging anyone with information about healthcare fraud to report it. Resources are available at www.stopmedicarefraud.gov. Further details about this case can be found on the websites of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida (http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls) and the District Court for the Southern District of Florida (http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov).