Flu Shot Frauder May Pay for Medical Billing Misuse

Flu Shot Frauder May Pay for Medical Billing Misuse

If you thought you had medical billing problems, check out the problems in Houston! Currently, Texas is home to one of the most outrageous medical billing fraud cases. Two individuals are accused of administering fake flu shots to individuals and getting medical billing reimbursement for these fake services.

Two individuals, Ivad Abu El Hawa and Martha Denise Gonzales were involved in this serious medical billing fraud. Hawa is the owner of Comfort & Caring Home Health, which is located in Houston. Gonzales is the manager of a Houston Doctor’s office. Apparently, the two gave 1,100 people employed by Exxon Mobil fake flu vaccinations.

The two were getting medical billing reimbursements for these vaccinations. They were held at a company health fair that was intended to improve the health of it’s employees. Instead of the flu vaccinations, however, the two frauders injected 1,100 people with purified water.

Although, the two were indicted in a federal court, Gonzales has pled not guilty to these medical billing fraud charges. Her trial is set for January 9, 2006. She will face up to 25 years in jail if she is found guilty. At this point she has posted bond at $50,000 and remains a free woman.

It doesn’t seem right that so many people in this country get away with medical billing fraud. Each year this country is frauded out of billions of dollars. This medical billing fraud hurts our citizens as well as our economy.

When choosing people to work for your practice or facility, make sure you make the right decisions. You have to be able to trust your employees completely. Some of the most important departments for trust are the medical billing and financial departments. Each day confidential information gets passed through their hands. If you can’t trust your medical billing staff, than you won’t have a successful practice.

View all Articles by: Melissa Clark, CCS-P