DALLAS – A doctor and his employee were arrested Monday for being involved in an alleged $5.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, officials said.
The doctor, Hector Molina, 51, of Irving, Texas, ran a medical house call service in Dallas.
Molina’s employee, Blanca Mata, 46, of Forney, Texas, was also arrested for her involvement in the scheme, officials said.
Molina and Mata were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
In addition, Molina was charged with eight counts of health care fraud, and Mata was charged with four counts of health care fraud, officials said.
Both made their initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Harris Toliver earlier today and were released on bond, according to authorities.
According to allegations in the indictment, Molina owned and operated Molina Medical Housecall Services in Dallas, and Mata was an employee of that business.
The indictment alleges that from approximately June 2012 through January 2015, Molina and Mata conspired to defraud Medicare by billing for home visits performed by Mata, who was not a physician, as if Molina had performed the home visits.
Additionally, the indictment alleges that Molina billed for home visits performed in the Dallas area while he was out of the country, officials maintain.
The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 2,100 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $6.5 billion, according to officials.