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PHILADELPHIA, PA – Irina Segal, owner of Bucks County’s Segal Arts, LLC, just agreed to cough up $200,000 to settle federal allegations of billing Medicare for services never rendered. The feds say Segal systematically billed the program for individual occupational therapy sessions – the kind prescribed for real medical needs – while actually running group art classes at assisted living facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
According to the Department of Justice, Segal continued the scheme even after being warned by Health and Human Services investigators that her billing practices were wrong. Agents from HHS-OIG reportedly sat her down and explained the rules for claiming payment for skilled, one-on-one therapy. Segal allegedly ignored the warning and kept the fraudulent billing going.
The complaint alleges Segal Arts raked in Medicare payments for ‘therapy’ that was nothing more than arts and crafts for seniors. The $200,000 is a partial recovery, adjusted for Segal’s ability to pay. U.S. Attorney David Metcalf’s office is framing this as part of a larger push to crack down on Medicare fraud, particularly when it preys on vulnerable, elderly populations.
“This isn’t about painting pretty pictures,” a source close to the investigation told Grimy Times. “It’s about stealing from a program designed to help people who need genuine medical care.”
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