A 38-year-old nurse entered into a plea agreement this past week after being accused of participating in a Medicare fraud scheme in which health care personnel allegedly submitted false claims and received kickbacks for referrals.

The nurse pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. The original indictment was entered on Feb. 15, 2011 in federal court in the Southern District of Florida. She could face up to a 15 year term of incarceration and a $250,000 fine.

According to court documents, the woman was accused of participating in a scheme orchestrated by her employers. The alleged scheme involved paying kickbacks to the owners of several assisted living facilities, halfway houses and patient brokers. The referrals were allegedly made for patients that did not require the services billed under Medicare programs.

The nurse admitted in the plea hearing to soliciting possible beneficiaries and making some of the kickback payments to assisted living facility owners for their referral of the beneficiaries.

The trial for others charged on Feb. 15 in relation to the alleged scheme is set to begin on April 9, 2012. U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Seitz will preside over the proceedings. It is unclear as of yet whether or not other plea agreements have been reached.

If you have been charged with Medicare fraud, the sooner you can obtain the assistance of an experienced defense attorney, the better. An experienced attorney will fight to avoid getting to the point where you have to decide between going to trial and accepting a plea agreement. When a case reaches that point, your attorney will ensure that your rights and interests are protected throughout.

Source: IEWY News, "Miami-Area Resident Pleads Guilty to Participating in $200 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme," Linda Campell, Jan. 20, 2012