From Niesha Lofing:
San Francisco man who ran a Sacramento adult day health care facility was sentenced to federal probation and fined this week for submitting false Medi-Cal claims.
Miron Balyasny, 57, worked for nearly four years as the administrator and manager of Altamedix Inc., which operates an adult day health care provider in Sacramento, according to a news release by U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott's office.
Balyasny's wife was listed as a one-third owner of Altamedix at the time, prosecutors said.
During that time, Balyasny, on behalf of Altamedix, altered patient records submitted to Medi-Cal so the company could qualify for Medi-Cal reimbursement. Under Medi-Cal regulations, adult day health center providers are only entitled to Medi-Cal reimbursement for services provided to patients who would be institutionalized if adult day health care were not available.
Balyasny changed patient records so it appeared that patients were sick, could not walk or could not feed or dress themselves, the release states.
In one instance in 2004, Balyasny, working on behalf of Altamedix, submitted false documents saying that a patient had chronic headaches, chest pains, shortness of breath, senile dementia and needed supervision with walking. The investigation revealed that not only did the patient not suffer from the alleged conditions, but was a World War II medic who frequently took nature walks on his own for recreation, the release states.
A parallel civil case also ensued. The Altamedix facility and its owners denied any wrongdoing or liability, but agreed to pay the government $450,000 to settle the case, the release states.
On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund F. Brennan sentenced Balyasny - who pled guilty to making false demands against the U.S. in March - to five years probation, including six months of home confinement with electronic monitoring, and fined him $4,000, the release states.
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