An older adult’s low awareness of scams may be an indicator that he or she may receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment in the future, according to the results of a new study.
Former assisted living facility and nursing home owner Philip Esformes plans to appeal a jury’s finding, announced Friday, that he is guilty of 20 charges in a case that the federal government is calling “largest healthcare fraud scheme ever charged by the Justice Department.”
Philip Esformes, the owner of multiple Miami-area assisted living and skilled nursing facilities accused in 2016 of orchestrating a $1 billion healthcare fraud scheme, has been found guilty on more than 20 charges, including bribery and paying kickbacks.
Efforts by state Medicaid Fraud Control Units resulted in a total of 16 criminal convictions and $241,798 in criminal and civil monetary recoveries related to assisted living in fiscal year 2018, according to an annual report released Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
The government is broadening its enforcement umbrella, and it means heightened scrutiny and reporting responsibility for those providing care and services to older adults.
A collection of cases of fraud or alleged fraud against older adults announced Thursday involves more than 260 defendants from around the world, with losses totaling more than $750 million, topping a similar effort last year to make it the largest such “elder fraud sweep” in history, the Justice Department said.
A newly released Federal Trade Commission publication provides statistics on fraud and loss cases as well as identity theft cases reported to law enforcement in 2018.
The number of reports of financial fraud against older adults has quadrupled since 2013, with 63,500 filed reports describing more than $1.7 billion in actual losses or attempted thefts in 2017, according to a report released Wednesday by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The former owner of three California assisted living facilities has pleaded guilty in federal court to willfully failing to account for and pay $512,000 in federal employment taxes.
Jury selection began Monday for the trial of Philip Esformes, the owner of multiple Miami-area assisted living and skilled nursing facilities accused in 2016 of orchestrating a $1 billion healthcare fraud scheme.
