Prosecutors said Jose Garza, 44, the operations manager for the company, was involved in a scheme to falsely convince thousands of patients that they had less than six months to live to enroll the patients in hospice programs in order to boost revenue. The company was accused of recruiting patients by saying that Merida Group offered a “hospice that you don’t have to die to use.”
At the trial of co-defendants Rodney Mesquias and Henry McInnis, witnesses testified that most patients at Merida Group didn’t qualify for services, and instead physicians were bribed with kickbacks and employees were instructed to falsify medical records.
Mr. Garza admitted to participating in the scheme by facilitating the kickback payments and directing employees to falsify the medical records.
In addition to the prison sentence, Mr. Garza was ordered to pay $4.7 million in restitution.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
Florida health system to fire nurse charged with threatening to kill US vice president
Patient recruiter gets 10-year prison sentence for telemedicine fraud
Missouri physician collects $26M in wrongful termination lawsuit
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
