DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Long Island Medical Supplier Convicted of $10.7 Million Medicare Fraud and HIPAA Violations; Stole Over 1,000 Patient's Records

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Dissent

Last month, a federal jury in Central Islip, New York  convicted the owner of a Long Island medical supply company of a $10.7 million Medicare fraud and wrongful disclosure of private patient information.

The conviction of Helene Michel of Old Brookville, New York, was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Janice K. Fedarcyk, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and Thomas O’Donnell, Special Agent-in-Charge of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Office of Investigations, New York.

The evidence at trial established that over the course of four and a half years the defendant stole private patient information from various nursing homes on Long Island and then submitted thousands of fraudulent claims to Medicare. The claims sought payment for services and equipment that were never provided by the defendant’s company, Medical Solutions Management, Inc., of Hicksville, New York. Among the fraudulent claims proven at trial was the defendant’s demand for reimbursement for supplying boots and braces to an elderly patient who was in fact an above-the-knee double-amputee.

The defendant then used the proceeds of the scheme to purchase a $2.2 million home in Old Brookville, New York, as well as to fund a pension plan for herself and an investment brokerage account collectively worth $2 million.

The defendant, who used the alias “Dr. Elene Allonce,” among others, was charged in a three-count superseding indictment in March 2012 with conspiracy, health care fraud and wrongful disclosure of patient information in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as “HIPAA.” The case represents one of the first criminal prosecutions in the nation for wrongful disclosure of patient information under HIPAA.

When sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco, Michel faces a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on each count, as well as fines of up to $250,000 per count.

In a statement to PHIprivacy.net, Robert Nardoza of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of New York indicated that over 1,000 patients had their information stolen:

The evidence at trial included fifteen banker boxes of patient files maintained by defendant’s company. All, or virtually all, of these over a thousand patient files had original patient records that had been removed without authorization from the patients’ records in the nursing homes.

This type of fraud based on medical ID theft poses significant risks to patients who may at some point find legitimate claims denied because Medicare believes it has already reimbursed them or real providers for services or durable goods. I hope all Medicare beneficiaries carefully check all Explanation of Benefits statements so they stand a better chance of spotting fraudulent use of their information.

Related posts:

  • National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in 324 Defendants Charged in Connection with Over $14.6 Billion in Alleged Fraud
Category: Health Data

Post navigation

← AZ: Latricia Williams, Shelton Tanner sentenced in identity theft and tax credit fraud scheme
Rite Aid mobile app left customer prescription history vulnerable – customer →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • India’s Max Financial says hacker accessed customer data from its insurance unit
  • Brazil’s central bank service provider hacked, $140M stolen
  • Iranian and Pro-Regime Cyberattacks Against Americans (2011-Present)
  • Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to International Fraud Scheme that Defrauded Elderly U.S. Victims
  • Nova Scotia Power Data Breach Exposed Information of 280,000 Customers
  • No need to hack when it’s leaking: Brandt Kettwick Defense edition
  • SK Telecom to be fined for late data breach report, ordered to waive cancellation fees, criminal investigation into them launched
  • Louis Vuitton Korea suffers cyberattack as customer data leaked
  • Hunters International to provide free decryptors for all victims as they shut down (2)
  • SEC and SolarWinds Seek Settlement in Securities Fraud Case

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • German court awards Facebook user €5,000 for data protection violations
  • Record-Breaking $1.55M CCPA Settlement Against Health Information Website Publisher
  • Ninth Circuit Reviews Website Tracking Class Actions and the Reach of California’s Privacy Law
  • US healthcare offshoring: Navigating patient data privacy laws and regulations
  • Data breach reveals Catwatchful ‘stalkerware’ is spying on thousands of phones
  • Google Trackers: What You Can Actually Escape And What You Can’t
  • Oregon Amends Its Comprehensive Privacy Statute

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.