Dora Moreira, Medicare Fraud, Florida 2013

MIAMI, FL - In a shocking case of healthcare exploitation, Dora Moreira, 46, the owner of defunct home health care company Anna Nursing Services Corp, has been sentenced to 235 months in prison for her participation in a $7 million Medicare fraud scheme. The scheme, which spanned from July 2010 to May 2013, involved billing the Medicare program for unnecessary and unprovided home health services.

According to evidence presented at trial, Moreira operated Anna Nursing for the sole purpose of submitting fraudulent claims to the Medicare program. She paid kickbacks and bribes to patients, negotiated with patient recruiters, and coordinated the submission of false claims to conceal her financial transactions and generate cash needed to pay kickbacks to patients and recruiters.

Moreira was convicted by a jury in October 2013 of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and receive and pay healthcare kickbacks, one count of payment of kickbacks in connection with a federal healthcare program, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and five counts of money laundering.

As part of her sentence, Moreira was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $6,928,931 in restitution. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.

The Medicare Fraud Strike Force, operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 1,700 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for over $5.5 billion since its inception in March 2007.

Moreira's sentencing is a significant blow to those who seek to exploit the healthcare system for personal gain. Her actions not only harmed the Medicare program but also put the lives of patients at risk by providing unnecessary and unprovided care.

As we continue to combat healthcare fraud, it is essential to hold perpetrators like Moreira accountable for their actions. By doing so, we can ensure that those who rely on the healthcare system receive the care they need, when they need it.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/health-care-clinic-owner-sentenced-role-7-million-medicare-fraud-scheme