California Physician Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud

In a significant development in the realm of health care ethics, a California physician has pleaded guilty to charges of health care fraud. Lilit Gagikovna Baltaian, 61, from Porter Ranch, has been at the center of a fraudulent scheme that defrauded Medicare out of over $1.4 million. This case raises important questions about accountability and ethics in the medical field.

According to court documents, between January 2012 and July 2018, Dr. Baltaian falsely certified patients for home health care services from at least four different Los Angeles area agencies. Her actions allowed these facilities to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for unnecessary services. Notably, Baltaian pre-signed blank, undated physician certification forms, making it possible for home health agencies to manipulate documents to fabricate clinical findings that had not occurred.

In some instances, Baltaian pre-signed blank, undated physician certification forms knowing that the home health agencies would later falsify the forms to make it appear as if she saw the Medicare beneficiaries and made clinical findings to support the need for home health care, when she had not done either. Baltaian received cash benefits related to these referrals and also submitted claims to Medicare for signing the fraudulent certifications.

Baltaian’s fraudulent actions resulted in substantial financial loss to the Medicare program, amounting to at least $1,449,050. Having pled guilty, she is now set to face sentencing on April 3, 2025, where she could potentially serve a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. This case serves as a reminder of the vital importance of integrity within the medical profession, emphasizing that deceit will be met with serious legal repercussions.