Carewell Ambulette Inc. and its owner, Kurien Palliankal, 48, of Yonkers, pleaded guilty this month to stealing more than $200,000 from the Medicaid program, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced.
The company, formerly based in New Rochelle, provided transportation services to Medicaid recipients throughout Westchester and neighboring counties. Palliankal will be sentenced to six months in jail followed by five years of probation and will also be required to pay full restitution to Medicaid. In addition, Carewell Ambulette will be fined $10,000.
“This defendant lined his pockets with money that should have been used to provide medical care to patients in need,” Schneiderman said in the announcement. “Health care is of utmost importance to New Yorkers, and we will pursue anyone who steals the opportunity to receive these necessary services.”
According to the attorney general’s office, Medicaid recipients are provided transportation to medical facilities when certified by their health care providers as medically necessary and when Medicaid approves the service. The health care provider must request only the level of service necessary based upon the patient”™s condition ”“ requesting either ambulance, ambulette or taxi service for transportation.
From July 2006 through March 2010, Palliankal and Carewell defrauded the Medicaid system by doctoring the request forms received from medical providers, the AG’s office said. Providers authorized taxi service, but Palliankal changed the forms to appear as though they authorized the more expensive ambulette service, which Medicaid pays at a rate four times higher than taxi service.
Palliankal is due to be sentenced in Westchester County Court on Sept. 9.
