Over million confiscated from Pasadena clinic for Medicare fraud allegations.
Federal prosecutors have received approval to seize over million from Expert Wound Care PC, a Pasadena-based clinic, amid accusations of defrauding Medicare through false claims. A ruling issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Rosenberg on Monday allows the government to access funds from the clinic’s associated bank account. This development is part of a broader investigation into fraudulent billing practices within the healthcare sector.
According to documents submitted to the court, from September 2025 through the present, Expert Wound Care submitted claims exceeding .6 million to Medicare, alleging the provision of skin substitute products and wound-care services to a total of 78 beneficiaries. Of these claims, Medicare approved nearly million in payments, which covered skin substitutes as well as skin grafts and skin application procedures.
Data extracted from the court filings indicates a stark discrepancy between the clinic’s billing practices and national averages. Specifically, between January 2025 and June 2025, the national average for allowable billing amounts per claim for skin substitute grafts was reported at ,837. In stark contrast, Expert Wound Care averaged approximately ,449 per claim for the same services between July 2025 and March 2026. Furthermore, from October 2025 to February 2026, the clinic is alleged to have billed Medicare about .6 million, garnering payments of roughly million for skin graft procedures supposedly rendered to a single patient.
Investigations revealed that the said patient did not, in fact, receive any skin grafts and had not received any type of home services in December 2025. Despite this, Expert Wound Care submitted no less than 27 claims for various services purportedly provided to this beneficiary during that month. The Department of Justice issued a statement highlighting that the percentage of total beneficiaries purportedly receiving substitute skin grafts from Expert Wound Care was more than six times the national average, raising significant concern among regulators.
This case represents a continuation of intensified efforts by federal authorities to combat health care fraud, particularly in California. Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other federal agencies announced a comprehensive crackdown on hospice and healthcare fraud schemes in the region. Officials indicate that Southern California has emerged as a focal point for various fraudulent healthcare activities, underscoring a critical need for vigilance as the nation grapples with the substantial financial toll that such malfeasance exacts on taxpayers and beneficiaries alike.
As the investigation progresses, it serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges in safeguarding the integrity of the healthcare system.
