Miami Nurse Admits $7M Medicare Scam

MIAMI, FL – Armando Buchillon, 42, of Hialeah, Florida, has confessed to his role in a brazen $7 million Medicare fraud scheme. The former director of nursing at the now-defunct Anna Nursing Services Corp. (Anna Nursing) pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in Miami. Sentencing is set for October 6, 2014, leaving Buchillon facing serious time for his calculated deception.

The scheme, orchestrated by the owners and operators of Anna Nursing, centered around billing Medicare for unnecessary and often nonexistent home health and physical therapy services. Anna Nursing, masquerading as a legitimate home health agency, preyed on vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries, fabricating documentation to falsely claim they qualified for – and received – services they didn’t need, and in many cases, never got. This isn’t just paperwork; it’s theft from a system designed to help those who need it most.

Buchillon wasn’t just complicit; he was a key player. Court documents reveal he actively falsified patient records, ensuring the fraudulent claims appeared legitimate. But the corruption didn’t stop there. Buchillon also engaged in a classic kickback scheme, paying patient recruiters to funnel beneficiaries into Anna Nursing, knowing full well the services provided were either medically unnecessary or simply phantom treatments. He himself also operated as a patient recruiter, receiving bribes from the owner of Anna Nursing for bringing in patients.

The scale of the fraud is staggering. Between October 2010 and April 2013, Anna Nursing raked in approximately $7 million from Medicare, all based on lies and fabricated services. The investigation, a joint effort by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), was conducted as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a nationwide initiative designed to combat these types of scams.

U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell, FBI Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan Lynch of HHS-OIG all announced the guilty plea. Trial Attorneys A. Brendan Stewart and Anne P. McNamara of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. This conviction underscores the government’s commitment to cracking down on healthcare fraud and holding those responsible accountable.

This case is just one example of the broader fight against Medicare fraud. Since 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged nearly 1,900 individuals, resulting in claims totaling over $6 billion. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, alongside the HHS-OIG, are also working to tighten regulations and root out fraudulent providers. For more information on HEAT (Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team), visit www.stopmedicarefraud.gov. Court documents can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls and http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov.