Las Vegas Nurse Practitioner Indicted in Medicare Fraud Scheme

Federal prosecutors have indicted a Las Vegas nurse practitioner accused of orchestrating a large-scale Medicare fraud scheme through wound care clinics in the Houston area. Marizel Yukee faces charges, including conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and money laundering, for allegedly submitting fraudulent claims amounting to nearly $906 million between October 2023 and April 2026. These services were deemed medically unnecessary, fraudulent, or provided to patients without qualifying conditions.

The charges, filed in the Southern District of Texas, highlight that Yukee's four clinics—Wound Medic, My BestHealth First, AllCare Mobile Wound Treatment, and Oracle Wound Treatment—were involved in billing Medicare and TRICARE. Federal authorities claim these submissions resulted in payments totaling approximately $297 million. Central to the fraud were skin-substitute allografts designed to treat chronic wounds, which were allegedly misused or inappropriately billed to Medicare.

Allegations of Fraudulent Activities

Prosecutors further allege that Yukee incentivized healthcare providers to refer patients and accepted kickbacks from allograft product distributors, totaling nearly $16 million. She is also accused of falsifying records and inflating billing submissions, sometimes doubling the cost of graft products, resulting in an average billing of more than $1 million per patient. The illicit proceeds allegedly funded a lavish lifestyle, with investigators seizing luxury vehicles and high-value properties in multiple states.

The government is pursuing the forfeiture of properties in Hawaii, Las Vegas, and Texas. This case underscores ongoing efforts to combat Medicare fraud in the region, emphasizing the importance of regulatory compliance and integrity within the healthcare and insurance sectors. The Southern District of Texas has seen similar cases, highlighting continuous challenges in risk management and fraud detection in the industry.