CA, Covina Couple Charged In $5.2M Medicare Hospice Fraud Case

Photo: seraphimhealth

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA– Amelou Gill, 70, a registered nurse, and her husband Gladwin Gill, 66, a psychologist, were arrested April 2 on federal charges alleging a multi-million-dollar Medicare fraud scheme involving hospice care, authorities said.

The couple was arrested at their residence in their palatial home in the city of Covina, in early morning enforcement action, authorities said.

According to federal prosecutors, the couple owned and operated St. Francis Palliative Care in Anaheim accorindg to CA Post, where they submitted more than $5.2 million in fraudulent claims for services that were either not medically necessary or were not provided. Medicare paid approximately $4 million on those claims.

Investigators allege that the couple paid illegal kickbacks to obtain patient referrals and enrolled individuals who were not terminally ill in hospice programs.

“The defendants charged in this takedown allegedly turned hospice care into a cash producing operation, resulting in more than $50 million in losses to taxpayers,” Inspector General T. March Bell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said. “The magnitude of the losses underscores a deliberate abuse of the authority and trust afforded to health care providers.”

Authorities also say that the proceeds from the scheme were used for personal expenses, including mortgage payments, car payments, travel, and other costs. Officials said the funds supported a lifestyle that included regular travel and other discretionary spending. On line they posted several pictures of themselves at various events with celebrities and politicians. 

“The Southern California region is a high-risk environment for hospice-related fraud,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, adding that such schemes impact taxpayers and healthcare systems.