Las Vegas Woman Must Pay $26K for Defrauding Medicaid

A federal judge has ordered a Nevada woman to pay more than $26,000 in restitution and other costs for defrauding Medicaid.

U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen E. Delaney (Las Vegas) found Isidora DeGuzman, 53, guilty of Medicaid fraud and ordered her to pay $6,822 in restitution and $20,000 in investigation and prosecution costs.

DeGuzman worked as the manager of Joy Mobility and Medical Supplies, a Las Vegas-based company that delivers medical equipment to Medicaid recipients and then is reimbursed by Medicaid, Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said.

An Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) discovered the company claimed it delivered more products or more expensive products to its clients than it actually did. Medicaid would then pay the company based on the fraudulent information, Masto said.

The investigation began in January 2009, after the fraud unit uncovered a separate medical equipment company that fraudulently billed Medicaid using stolen patient information from Joy Mobility and Medical Supplies.

“Any degree of Medicaid fraud damages the Medicaid system and robs it of the resources to provide services to people in actual need,” said Masto. “We will pursue and prosecute those who choose to profit by harming others and stealing taxpayer dollars.”

The case was handled by the MFCU, which investigates and prosecutes financial fraud by those providing health care services or goods to Medicaid patients. Matthew Jensen, senior deputy attorney general, prosecuted the case.