Novus Health Clinicians Sentenced to Combined 23 Years in Prison for Hospice Fraud

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Judge Lynn

By Jim Parker

Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn has sentenced Novus Health Services Medical Directors Mark E. Gibbs, M.D., and Laila Hirjee, M.D., along with one of the company’s nurses, Tammie Little, to a combined 23 years in prison following their convictions for hospice fraud exceeding $40 million.

Gibbs was sentenced to 13 years as well as paying restitution of nearly $28 million. Hirjee received 10 years in prison and must pay more than $16 million. The judge also sentenced Little to a 33 month incarceration.

The company’s CEO Bradley Harris was also convicted in the case. He agreed to a plea deal, pled guilty and testified against his former employees, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Marsha Joiner to Interview Michelle Young Doers

Tomorrow night on the Betrayed by Hospice show, Marsha Joiner interviews Michelle Young Doers, RRT Registered Respiratory Therapist and author of Killing for Profit: The Dark Side of Hospice, available at this link.

Dial 917-388-4520 or listen live on the internet. 5 p.m. Pacific, 6 p.m. Mountain, 7 p.m. Central, 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zones

Michelle writes this heartfelt book from deep within the trenches of what she witnessed first-hand while working for hospice, caring for patients at the end of their life. She saw a business model of cutting corners, making promises that would never be kept and placing the bottom line of the accountants ahead of the care for the patient.

New Office of Inspector General Report: Hospice Deficiencies Pose Risks to Medicare Beneficiaries

WHY WE DID THIS STUDY  

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) has identified significant vulnerabilities in the Medicare hospice benefit and found that hospices did not always provide needed services to beneficiaries and sometimes provided poor quality care.  Click here to view report.

Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in the Medicare Hospice Program Is ‘Repellent’

Joanne Chiedi

By Joanne M. Chiedi *

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Like many Americans, I have a story about hospice care for a loved one. When my father was dying from complications of dementia and diabetes, hospice caregivers sat with him, provided pain relief, and helped him be comfortable. They also gave my mother peace of mind that her beloved husband was receiving kind attention in his final weeks. To this day, she refers to those hospice workers as angels.

Sadly, not every family’s story is a positive one.