Bay Area home health care facilities, doctors charged in $115M Medicare scheme

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - The FBI on Thursday charged Bay Area health care professionals and the CEO of a home health care facility on allegations of Medicare fraud. 

The Department of Justice says the Medicare and Medicaid fraud case cost taxpayers more than $115 million. 

The case involved 13 Bay Area doctors, five nurses and at least one social worker who illegally accepted bribes from two health care providers to refer patients to them.

The two companies involved include Amity Home Health Care, the largest in-home health care provider in the Bay Area, and Advent Care, a hospice provider based in Hayward.

The CEO of Amity, Amanda Singh, has been charged with various crimes in connection with the scheme. 

The bribes were then billed as legitimate Medicare payments at a cost of $115 million over several years. 

U.S. Attorney David Anderson says none of the Medicare or Medicaid patients were implicated as they were not aware of the scheme. 

No patients have been charged. 

Singh and 11 of the 30 other defendants are scheduled to appear in federal court Thursday afternoon. 

They face charges ranging from violating federal anti-kickback laws, lying to investigators and witness tampering. 

The penalties for those crimes can include up to 10 years in prison and $500,000 fines. 

The following individuals and companies have been charged: