More California medical providers suspended for fraud
October 06, 2017 Reprints
General liability Regulation Workers Comp Cost Control Workers Comp Coverage More + Less -
California's scouring of fraudulent workers compensation medical providers continues, with the California Division of Workers' Compensation announcing Thursday that it has suspended eight more medical providers from participating in California's workers comp system, bringing the total number of providers suspended this year to 46.
State law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, now requires the division's administrative director to suspend any medical provider from treating injured workers under the comp system in cases where the provider has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving fraud or abuse of government medical programs or the comp system, fraud or abuse of a patient, or related types of misconduct; the provider has been suspended due to fraud or abuse from government medical programs; or the provider's license or certificate to provide health care has been surrendered or revoked.
The division's acting administrative director, George Parisotto, issued orders of suspension against the following providers, according to a division statement:
Abraham Khorshad, of Beverly Hills, California, who invested in Aspen Medical Resources along with co-conspirator with Jeffrey Campau and Landen Mirallegro, who were suspended from the workers comp system in September. Mr. Khorshad and his co- defendants pled guilty in Orange County Superior Court on May 5 to medical insurance fraud for their involvement in an overbilling scheme in which they defrauded insurance companies of more than $70 million. The three providers agreed to pay more than $8 million in restitution to several insurers and self-insured employers, and to voluntarily dismiss liens of nearly $140 million.
Joseff Sales, a physical therapist from Buena Park, California, and Danniel Goyena, a physical therapist assistant from Whittier, California, pled guilty in federal court on Nov. 17, 2015, for paying illegal kickbacks as part of a Medicare fraud scheme. Both providers were co-owners and operators of Rehab Inc., Rehab Dynamics Inc. and Innovation Physical Therapy Inc. The pair surrendered their licenses and were each sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution of up to $7.9 million.
Edgar Pogosian, also known as Edgar Hakobyan, of Glendale, California, was found guilty in federal court on Feb. 26, 2016, for money laundering and conspiring to commit money laundering. He took part in a health care fraud scheme to bill Medicare for equipment and tests that were not medically necessary and sometimes were not provided. He received 150 checks totaling $700,000 in health care fraud proceeds. Mr. Pogosian was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison.
Timothy Martin, an osteopathic physician and surgeon in Benicia, California, had his medical certificate revoked on June 1, 2015, by the Medical Board of California.
Alex Abbassi, of Tarzana, California, surrendered his physician and surgeon's certificate on Aug. 31, 2015, to the Medical Board of California.
Nicole Hlava, of Palo Alto, California, surrendered her medical license on Aug. 11, 2016, to the Medical Board of California.
Maher Abadir, of Modesto, California, surrendered his medical license on May 20, 2016, to the Medical Board of California.
Medical providers suspended from comp system for fraud
Bill to suspend California providers convicted of fraud signed