South Florida nurse practitioner convicted in $200 million Medicare fraud scheme – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
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HOMESTEAD, FLA. (WSVN) – A federal jury in Miami convicted a 45-year-old nurse practitioner from Homestead for her pivotal role in a scheme aimed at defrauding Medicare of over $200 million.
Elizabeth Hernandez was found guilty on multiple charges related to submitting false and fraudulent claims for costly genetic testing and medical equipment that Medicare beneficiaries did not require, the United States Department of Justice said in a news release.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that Hernandez had signed thousands of orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests, leading to fraudulent Medicare billings exceeding $200 million. Telemarketing companies played a crucial part in the scheme by persuading Medicare beneficiaries to request orthotic braces and genetic tests, and then dispatching pre-filled orders for these items to Hernandez. She endorsed these orders, falsely stating that she had examined or treated the patients, even though she had never interacted with many of them.
It was discovered that in 2020, Hernandez ordered more cancer genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries than any other healthcare provider nationwide, surpassing even oncologists and geneticists. She also billed Medicare as if she had conducted comprehensive office visits with these patients, routinely invoicing for over 24 hours of “office visits” in a single day.
Hernandez personally profited approximately $1.6 million from the scheme, which she used to acquire luxury cars, jewelry, carry out home renovations, and indulge in extensive travel.
On Wednesday, Sept. 20, the jury convicted Hernandez on charges that include one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, along with four counts of health care fraud and three counts of making false statements pertaining to health care matters.
Her sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14, where she could face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy, 10 years in prison for each health care fraud count and five years in prison for each false statement count.
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