Source- http://www.justice.gov/usao/law/news/wdla20130118b.pdf
LAFAYETTE, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today
that the former owner of Rest Assure Home Medical Equipment, located in Rayne, La., was
sentenced to five years probation and was ordered to pay $175,923.93 in restitution for
health care fraud related to Medicare reimbursements. The sentence was handed down
yesterday in federal court in Lafayette by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote.
Dorothy Cole, age 60, of Rayne, La., was charged by Bill of Information on June 20,
2012, with five counts of health care fraud. According to court documents filed at Cole’s
guilty plea on September 18, 2012, she was the owner and president of Rest Assure Home
Medical Equipment. Rest Assure Home Medical Equipment provided durable medical
equipment, such as power wheelchairs and scooters to Medicare beneficiaries. Beginning
in August of 2007 and continuing through April of 2009, Cole billed Medicare for a more
expensive type of wheelchair but provided her customers with cheaper scooters that were
not reimbursable by Medicare and less expensive wheelchairs that were reimbursed by
Medicare at a lower rate.
During the guilty plea hearing, Cole acknowledged that she submitted false claims
to Medicare and obtained $175,923.93 in Medicare reimbursements to which she was not
entitled.
U.S. Attorney Finley stated: “Dorothy Cole violated the law when she collected
money from Medicare under false pretenses. Medicare is designed to help Americans, age
65 and older, and younger people, with disabilities. This type of fraud undermines the
system and hurts those who are in need of its benefits. Medicare fraud results in the losses
of millions of dollars every year. Our office is dedicated to prosecuting those who engage
in this type of fraud.”
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Report Medicare & Medicaid Fraud by Calling 1-888-482-6825 or by visiting
www.usawhistleblower.com
