A federal jury in New Orleans has convicted Pramela Ganji, MD, for her role in a $34 million Medicare fraud scheme that lasted seven years, according to the Department of Justice.
Evidence introduced at trial showed Dr. Gangi and Elaine Davis, the owner Christian Home Health Care in New Orleans, caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare for services that were not needed and/or not provided.
Ms. Davis allegedly paid employees to recruit patients from in and around New Orleans. The new patients' Medicare information was then sent to physicians, including Dr. Ganji, to certify the patients qualified to receive home healthcare services. Evidence introduced at trial showed many of these patients did not qualify for home healthcare services, according to the DOJ.
Christian Home Health Care submitted $34.4 million in claims to Medicare from 2007 through June 2013, and many of those claims were fraudulent.
Dr. Gangi and Ms. Davis were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of healthcare fraud.
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