The co-owner of a Los Angeles home health agency was charged today with participating in a $33 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Angela Avetisyan, 38, of Glendale was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Avetisyan was co-owner of Fifth Avenue Home Health and the office manager of a Los Angeles medical clinic owned and operated by co-defendant Dr. Robert A. Glazer, officials said.
According to court documents, from January 2006 through May, Avetisyan and Glazer allegedly billed Medicare for services that were not medically necessary, and at times were not provided to the Medicare beneficiaries.
In addition, Glazer signed prescriptions, certifications and other medical documents for medically unnecessary home health services, hospice
services, power wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment, prosecutors said.
Avetisyan then sold the prescriptions and certifications to medical supply companies, home health agencies and other providers, knowing the
prescriptions and certifications were fraudulent, prosecutors allege.
Based on these fraudulent prescriptions and certifications, the medical supply companies, home health agencies, including Fifth Avenue, and other providers then allegedly submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, according to the DOJ.
As further alleged in court documents, Avetisyan and Glazer were responsible for about $33 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare,
which paid about $22 million on those claims.
Glazer, 67, of Hollywood was indicted by a federal grand jury in June on a count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Trial is tentatively scheduled for February.
