Federal authorities out of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania late last month charged a Bensalem woman with health care fraud.
Hemal Patel, 59, of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has been charged by information with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, in connection with a home care fraud scheme, where Patel is alleged to have received kickbacks to refer home care patients to home care agencies. Patel and others devised a scheme to fraudulently bill Medicaid for home care services that were never provided, resulting in a loss to Medicaid of approximately $1,069,384.38.
United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the charges in connection with the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
According to investigators, Patel forged doctor signatures on forms required to certify individuals as eligible for home care services, and unlawfully used individuals’ personally identifiable information without their knowledge to enroll them for home care services they were not entitled to while those individuals were living out of the country.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alisa Shver.
The charges announced by Metcalf are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in criminal charges against 324 defendants for their alleged participation in health care fraud and illegal drug diversion schemes that involved the submission of over $14.6 billion in intended loss and over 15 million pills of illegally diverted controlled substances. The defendants allegedly defrauded programs entrusted for the care of the elderly and disabled to line their own pockets. The United States has seized over $245 million in cash, luxury vehicles, and other assets, in connection with the takedown.
“Health care fraud hurts us all, heightening the cost of services and threatening their availability to people in need,” said Metcalf. “My office will continue to target fraud, waste, and abuse within our federal health care programs and ensure that individuals stealing taxpayers’ money answer for their crimes.”
