Two Filipinas in West Covina, California were arrested for allegedly $4.8 million hospice fraud. They were identified as Normita “Normie” Sierra, 71, and Rowena “Weng” Elegado, 55. Both were charged with conspiracy and health care fraud after submitting fake Medicare claims.
Sierra is the owner of Golden Meadows Hospice Inc. and D’Alexandria Hospice Inc., and is facing 14 charges including 9 counts of health care fraud, conspiracy, and illegal kickbacks. Elegado, on the other hand, is charged with conspiracy and 4 counts of giving illegal payments for patient referrals.
According to the investigation, from 2018 to 2022, they paid “marketers” called “girl scout cookies” to recruit patients who were not terminally ill. The payments amounted to $1,300 per patient per month.
They submitted claims to Medicare totaling $4.8 million, of which $3.8 million was paid. Relyndo Salcedo, a nurse practitioner, is also accused of falsifying patients' conditions. Both Salcedo and marketer Carl Bernardo have pleaded guilty to the charges.
If convicted, Sierra could face up to 10 years in prison for each count of fraud, while both could face up to 5 years for conspiracy and 10 years for each illegal payment.
