CHICAGO
A federal judge sentenced a doctor for certifying that patients were confined to homes when they were not, resulting in the fraudulent billing of Medicare for $4 million, according to officials.
As an employee and part-owner of Bloomingdale-based Home Care Physicians Inc., Dr. Arthur Davida, received referrals from home-health agencies asking him to certify the patients as confined to the home.
In imposing a two-year sentence, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp Jr. described the crime as a “very serious offense,” and one that involved “stealing money” from the Medicare program.
Davida, 62, of Bloomingdale, plead guilty last year to a health care fraud charge contained in a criminal information.
Home-health agencies were paid more than $20 million by Medicare based on orders signed by Davida.
Given his admission that 20 percent of these patients were not confined to the home, Davida acknowledged in the plea agreement that he caused losses of at least $4 million to the Medicare program.
Although he knew that at least 20 percent of the patients were not confined to the home, Davida nonetheless provided the certification – allowing the agencies to bill Medicare for treatment that Davida knew was not medically necessary, according to officials.
In a plea agreement, Davida admitted that he provided the certifications because he feared that, if he didn’t, the home-health agencies would stop sending him the referrals, officials said.
According to the plea agreement, Davida began working at Home Care Physicians in 2009, and started conducting in-home visits in 2010.
From 2010 and continuing through August 2013, Davida certified numerous patients as confined to the home and in need of skilled nursing services, when, in fact, they were able to leave their homes and did not need such services, officials said.