Los Angeles Doctor Convicted In $4.1 Million Medicare Conspiracy

A California jury last week found a Los Angeles doctor guilty of conspiracy in relation to allegations that he was involved in a Medicare kickback scheme with a local home health care agency.

Prosecutors say Dr. Kanagasabai Kanakeswaran, M.D., was engaged in a conspiracy to refer Medicare patients to the home health care firm Star Home Health Resources in exchange for payments both directly to him in cash and by check to his firm Digital Perfection Corporation.

Per the government, Star submitted claims to Medicare that were derived from patients sent to them by Kanakeswaran, with Star receiving $4.1 million in Medicare payouts in return.

Kanakeswaran was convicted of one count of conspiracy to pay and/or receive kickbacks for Medicare referrals and four counts of receiving kickbacks for Medicare referrals at the conclusion of a 6-day trial in the chambers of U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez.

Kanakeswaran’s sentencing on the charges has been scheduled for early next year.

Kanakeswaran’s conviction is the latest to be secured by the Federal government’s Medicare Fraud Strike Force. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services that is focused upon enforcing anti-fraud laws across the nation. After more than 11 years of investigations and prosecutions, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,700 defendants, with total alleged fraud to Medicare of over $14 billion.

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