Former Philadelphia Hospice Workers Charged With Medicare Fraud

An indictment was unsealed this week charging five nurses formerly employed at Home Care Hospice Inc, Philadelphia, with multi-million-dollar fraud on Medicare.
According to 7thspace.com, an investigation by the FBI and Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General concluded between Jan. 2005 and Dec. 2008, about $9.3 million in fraudulent claims for inappropriate patients were submitted to Medicare by the facility.
The claims were authorized by Patricia McGill, 64, of Philadelphia, a registered nurse and director of professional services for HCH, and an unnamed hospice director for HCH.
Also charged are Natalya Shvets, of Southhampton, Giorgi Oqroshidze, of Philadelphia, Yevgeniya Goltman, of Newtown, and Alexsandr Koptyakov, of Bensalem, who the indictment states created fraudulent nursing notes for approximately 150 patients indicating hospice services were provided for patients.
According to the online article, in Feb. 2007, HCH was notified that it was subject to a claims review, and according to the indictment, in anticipation of the audit, McGill and the hospice
director sanctioning false documentation by the nursing staff, and authorizing the alteration of charts.

In Sept. 2007, HCH was notified it exceed its cap for Medicare reimbursement and would have to repay $2,625,047. McGill and the hospice director directed staff to review patient files and discharge hospice patients.
Seventy nine patients were discharged in Oct. 2007 and a total of 128 discharged by January 2008.
If convicted of all charges, McGill faces a potential 108 to 135 months in prison, a fine of up to $150,000, and a $1400 special assessment; Shvets, Goltman, and Koptykov each face a potential sentence of 27 to 33 months in prison, a fine of up to $60,000, and an $800 special assessment; Oqroshidze faces a potential sentence of 21 to 27 months in prison, a fine of up to $50,000, and a $700 special assessment.
HCH was co-owned by Matthew Kolodesh, who is charged separately.

Contact Information