May 19, 2021
Las Vegas, NV – Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford
announced that Senior Life Advocacy Group, LLC d/b/a Floras Personal Care
Attendant (FLORAS), a personal care services provider owned by Flora Siwa, was
sentenced in a Medicaid fraud case involving false billing for medical services
to Medicaid recipients. The fraud occurred between January 2018 and January 2019.
District
Court Judge Eric Johnson sentenced FLORAS for
a gross misdemeanor offense of Failing to Maintain Adequate Records. As part of
the sentence, FLORAS was also ordered to pay $24,905.85 in restitution jointly
with Flora Siwa, and placed on a term of probation for two years. Individuals or
businesses convicted of Medicaid fraud may also be administratively excluded
from future Medicaid and Medicare participation.
“Personal care
services are critical to many Nevadans, said AG Ford. “Convictions like these make sure that
Medicaid providers don’t burden the system through improper and false claims of
services.”
The
investigation began after the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) received
information that FLORAS was billing for personal care services that had not
been provided to Medicaid recipients. The investigation revealed that FLORAS billed
Medicaid for purportedly providing personal care services to Medicaid
recipients during various time periods when such Medicaid recipients were in
fact hospitalized. FLORAS knew that
during periods of hospitalization, personal care services for patients are
provided by the hospital and not by personal care services providers such as
FLORAS. Nevertheless, FLORAS billed
Medicaid claiming such personal care services were provided by its health care
providers to hospitalized patients.
The
MFCU investigates and prosecutes financial fraud by those providing healthcare
services or goods to Medicaid patients. The MFCU also investigates and
prosecutes instances of elder abuse or neglect. The Nevada MFCU receives 75
percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
under a grant award. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of Nevada,
MFCU. Persons convicted of Medicaid fraud may also be administratively excluded
from future Medicaid and Medicare participation. Anyone wishing to report
suspicions regarding any of these concerns may contact the MFCU at 702-486-3420
or 775-684-1100.
This case
was investigated by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and was
prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Steve Sidhu.
To view
the criminal information, click here. To file a complaint with the
Office of the Nevada Attorney General, click here.
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