Illinois SMP Fraud Alert March 19, 2024

Rockford Skilled Therapy Provider to Pay $1.5 Million Settlement for Federal Medicare Fraud Scam

This past February a Rockford, IL based skilled therapy provider and its current and former owners have agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve civil allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by falsely submitting claims to Medicare for purported physical and occupational therapy.

Brynwood Myofascial Therapy LL and its current owner Malgorzata Zasadny and its former owner Marla Monge, fraudulently billed Medicare for physical therapy services that were performed by a massage therapist and not a physical therapist, therapy services when the owners were out of the country, physical therapy services when there were no licensed occupational therapist or physical therapist on site, and physical therapy using unproper codes to avoid caps on certain services.

A former employee was the whistleblower in this case as Brynwood Myofascial Therapy and Zasadny agreed to pay $953,959, while Monge agreed to pay $615,345.

You can read the press release from the Department of Justice here.

The Illinois SMP is also here to offer assistance if you feel you have been affected by any suspicious billing on your Medicare Summary Notice, please call the Illinois SMP at AgeOptions at (800) 699-9043 or visit www.illinoissmp.org.

March and April 2024 SMP Workshops

March 14, 2024, at 11:00 am – Lansing Public Library SMP Bingo

Lansing Public Library (2750 Indiana Ave. Lansing, IL 60438)

March 16, 2024, at 12:00 pm – Senior Fair

St. Paul Lutheran Church (6201 Vollmer Rd. Matteson, IL 60443)

March 18, 2024, at 11:00 am – Lansing Public Library SMP Bingo

Homewood Public Library (17917 Dixie Hwy. Homewood, IL 60430)

March 21, 2024, at 11:00 am – Richton Park Village and SMP Bingo at Richton Park Public Library

Richton Park Public Library District (22310 Latonia Ln. Richton Park, IL 60471)

March 26th at 10:30 am – SMP Bingo

West Suburban Senior Services in Bellwood (439 Bohland Ave., Bellwood, IL)

March 28, 2024, at 10:00 am – Chicago Ridge Public Library SMP Bingo

Chicago Ridge Public Library (10400 S Oxford Ave. Chicago Ridge, IL 60415)

April 4th at 11:00 am - SMP Bingo with Attorney General’s Office

Aging Care Connections (111 W Harris Ave, La Grange, IL 60525)

April 4th at 1:00 pm – SMP Intro Presentation and Bingo

Brookfield Public Library (3541 Park Ave, Brookfield, IL 60513) (Marina)

April 10th at 1:00 pm – SMP Bingo

Evergreen Park Public Library (9400 S. Troy Avenue Evergreen Park, IL 60805) (Marina)

April 10th at 6:00 pm – Spanish SMP Bingo

Fox River Valley Public Library (555 Barrington Ave, East Dundee, IL 60118)

April 17th at 10:00 am – Spanish SMP Bingo

Palatine Senior Center (505 S Quentin Rd, Palatine, IL 60067)

April 18th at 1:00 pm – “Types of Fraud” SMP Presentation

Village of Niles Senior Center (999 Civic Center Drive, Niles, IL 60714)

April 19th at 12:30-1:30pm – SMP Bingo

Salvation Army Blue Island (2900 W 127th St, Blue Island, IL 60406)

April 23rd at 11:00 am – SMP Bingo

William Hawkins Multi-Purpose Service Center (650 E. Phoenix Center Drive, Phoenix, IL)

April 23rd at 2pm to 3pm – SMP Presentation and Bingo

Des Plaines Public Library (1501 Ellinwood St Des Plaines, IL 60016) (Marina)

April 25th at 10:00 am – SMP Bingo with Spanish Organizations

Berwyn Public Library (2701 S Harlem Ave, Berwyn, IL 60402)

Have a wonderful week!

Travis Trumitch

travis.trumitch@ageoptions.org

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This project was supported, in part by grant number 90MPPG0036, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy.

The Illinois SMP at AgeOptions partners with agencies across the state to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud, errors, and abuse through outreach, counseling, and education.

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