BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) – A $6.41 million settlement has been reached to resolve allegations of Medicaid billing fraud and falsifying records against Home Family Care Inc., located in Brooklyn and its president Alexander Kiselev.
New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced Jan. 31 the company's settlement for alleged violations of federal and New York False Claims Acts, which include allegedly billing the New York State Medicaid program for unqualified care provider's services as well as for services that were never provided.
The complaint, filed by the state of New York and the United States against Home Family, stated the company allowed its aides to bypass verification procedures designed to ensure aides were providing scheduled services to Medicaid recipients. The complaint states employees ignored the system, which required aides to "clock in" and "clock out" by calling a central number yet were still paid for the services.
The complaint also states the company's supervisors modified and created call entries in the attendance verification system to make it look as though aides had clocked in or out of their shifts, all with the knowledge of Home Family's former vice president Michael Gurevich. Gurevich agreed to a $100,000 settlement for the allegations against him.
“New Yorkers place the highest level of trust in home care providers to care for their vulnerable family members,” Schneiderman said in a news release. “My office will continue to make clear that there are serious consequences for neglecting vulnerable home care patients – and even further consequences for trying to cover it up before sending New Yorkers the bill.”