Yolanda Hamilton, M.D., 57, of Harris County, Texas, the physician-owner and operator of HMS Health and Wellness Center, PLLC, was sentenced to five years in prison for her role in a multimillion Medicare fraud scheme. She was also ordered to pay $9.5 million in restitution. According to the evidence presented at trial, from January 2012 to August 2016, Hamilton conspired with others to defraud Medicare by signing false and fraudulent home healthcare paperwork that was used to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Hamilton and her co-conspirators made it appear that the patients qualified and received home healthcare services, when they often did not. In fact, members of the conspiracy paid the patients to receive the home healthcare services, which were often medically unnecessary, not provided, or both. The evidence also showed that Hamilton required home healthcare agencies to pay an illegal kickback, which Hamilton disguised as a “co-pay,” in exchange for Hamilton certifying and recertifying patients for home healthcare services. To date, several co-conspirators including marketers, patient recruiters along with doctors, and nurses who purchased plans of care and other signed medical documents from Hamilton have been charged, found guilty, or pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and/or paying or receiving kickbacks.
