⏱ 2 min read
PHILADELPHIA, PA – Irina Segal, owner of Bucks County’s Segal Arts, LLC, will shell out $200,000 to settle a federal fraud case alleging she bilked Medicare out of funds by falsely claiming group art sessions were one-on-one occupational therapy. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf’s office announced the consent judgment today, capping an investigation into the company’s billing practices.
Federal investigators say Segal Arts routinely billed Medicare for individual therapeutic exercises, but instead delivered arts-and-crafts sessions to residents of assisted living facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The scheme allegedly continued even after federal health officials confronted Segal, explaining the specific requirements for billing those services.
According to the complaint, Segal Arts never repaid the money already received for the improperly billed group sessions. The $200,000 payment is based on Segal’s demonstrated ability to pay, meaning the total fraud could be significantly higher.
“This isn’t about discouraging art in nursing homes, it’s about protecting a system designed to provide necessary medical care to seniors,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Medicare dollars are for actual medical services.”
The case highlights a continued push by federal authorities to crack down on Medicare fraud, particularly in areas like occupational therapy where abuse is common. Segal Arts and Irina Segal have not admitted wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
RELATED: California Con Man Gets 5.5 Years for SBA Scam
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →