Irene Oluwatoyin Oshiyoye has agreed to pay $250,000 to settle allegations that she violated the False Claims Act by defrauding Medicare and Medicaid. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Irene Oshiyoye and her late husband, Dr. Adekunle Oshiyoye, operated Advance Visiting Physicians, P.C., which provided home health care services in Southeast Michigan from Farmington Hills. The government alleged that between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021, Irene Oshiyoye submitted or caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid for home health visits performed by unlicensed and unsupervised foreign doctors. These actions were said to violate Medicare and Medicaid regulations.
The settlement resolves civil claims brought under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. This law allows private individuals to file lawsuits on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any settlement or judgment. The case is titled United States and the State of Michigan ex rel. Telusnor v. Advance Visiting Physicians, P.C., et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-12602 (E.D. Mich.). The amount and payment structure were determined based on Irene Oshiyoye’s ability to pay.
The resolution resulted from cooperation among several agencies: the FBI, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the Michigan Attorney General Health Care Fraud Division. Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Gentner handled the matter for the federal government.
Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan stated: “The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.”
Officials encourage anyone with information about potential fraud or abuse involving federal health care programs to contact the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
It was noted that these are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
