A businesswoman in the United States has confessed to stealing funds meant for the care of COVID-19 patients and is set to be sentenced in May. She could be imprisoned for up to 10 years.
Amina Abbas, 36, who owned a home health agency in Indiana state and now lives in Michigan, received $37,657 under a government to scheme to help health care providers treat COVID-19 patients, even though the facility did not operate during the pandemic.
The woman spent the money by issuing cheques to her relatives for personal use, according to the US Department of Justice.
“The charges against Abbas were the first criminal charges for the intentional misuse of funds distributed from the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, money specially apportioned by the CARES Act to help health care providers who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide care to patients who were suffering from COVID-19, and compensate providers for the cost of that care,” the department said in a press note. “These funds were critical to providing relief to health care providers and maintaining access to medical care during the pandemic.”
Abbas had shut her home health agency in early 2020 after officials ordered it to reimburse over $1.6 million. The agency had allegedly submitted claims for patients who did not qualify for home health services, according to the US Department of Justice.
The US government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act seeks to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans reeling under the economic impact of the pandemic.
CARES Act includes a Provider Relief Fund, which is meant to help healthcare providers with coronavirus response.
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