Porter Ranch Doctor Charged With $6 Million Medicare Fraud

PORTER RANCH, CA — A Porter Ranch doctor was arrested Thursday on charges of creating fake home health care certifications that led to more than $6 million in fraudulent billings to Medicare.

Federal authorities allege that Lilit Gagnikovna Baltaian, 58, falsely certified patients to receive care from four separate home health agencies. The agencies would file claims with Medicare for reimbursement of services that were either unnecessary or not provided, according to prosecutors.

Baltaian received cash benefits from the home health agencies for the referrals, and submitted claims for reimbursements for visits and injections she didn’t provide, prosecutors allege. Baltaian operated two clinics in Tujunga and Reseda, and allegedly ran the operation from 2012 to 2018.

Medical professionals can certify patients for home care from an agency if they are confined to their home and do not need the level of care offered by hospitals or skilled nursing facilities. Agencies then file claims to Medicare for reimbursement if services meet the requirements, according to the indictment, which alleges that Baltaian and the agencies knew the certifications were false or unnecessary despite sending them to Medicare.

If convicted on all counts, Baltaian could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted on all counts, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.