MIAMI – Elsa Ruiz, who was in the home healthcare business in Miami-Dade, was in federal court Wednesday for her involvement in a $74 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Ruiz, 45, plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud in a scheme that billed Medicare for treatments that were not provided or were not medically necessary.
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"Ruiz negotiated kickback payments and rates with patient recruiters," an FBI agent said in a report in 2012.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that in some instances the companies also paid beneficiaries. Ruiz was the owner of Professional Home Care Solutions and an administrator at LTC Professional Consultants.
The indictment said that for about six years the two companies submitted $74 million in fraudulent claims --- and Medicare paid $45 million. Ruiz's assets were frozen when she was arrested in 2012. Her sentencing was set for Oct. 8.