A Las Vegas nurse practitioner has been indicted in an alleged $906 million health care fraud scheme involving hospice patients.
Marizel Yukee, 49, allegedly used four mobile wound clinics she owned in four states to bill Medicare and Tricare for medically unnecessary amniotic wound allografts (donated birth tissue used to patch and heal severe wounds).
Authorities say roughly $297 million was paid before investigators seized assets, including a $594,000 Ferrari 296 GTS and an $865,000 Bulgari necklace.
What prosecutors say happened
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Yukee was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, kickback-related charges and transactional money laundering.
Prosecutors say Yukee targeted elderly Medicare patients, many of whom were terminally ill and receiving hospice care. The indictment alleges unnecessary allografts were applied to infected wounds, healed wounds and wounds not responding to treatment.
Yukee also allegedly falsified patient medical records to make the treatments appear medically reasonable, necessary and eligible for Medicare payment.
The DOJ alleges Yukee caused about $906 million in fraudulent claims to be billed to Medicare and Tricare. Of that amount, roughly $297 million was paid.
Investigators also seized about $35.2 million in assets, including $467,000 in cash, eight vehicles and jewelry. That haul included the Ferrari 296 GTS and the Bulgari necklace.
Why wound care drew investigators’ attention
Amniotic wound allografts are tissue-based products used in some wound treatments. In legitimate care, they may be appropriate for certain patients when properly prescribed.
But prosecutors say Yukee’s case involved unnecessary treatments and kickbacks tied to patient referrals and product purchases.
The DOJ said its 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown included charges against 11 defendants across six districts in cases involving amniotic wound allografts.
That suggests wound care billing has become a major enforcement focus, especially when expensive products are billed repeatedly to taxpayer-funded programs.
This was part of a much larger crackdown
Yukee’s indictment was announced as part of the DOJ’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The DOJ says the nationwide action resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals.
Altogether, the cases involved more than $6.5 billion in alleged false claims across 56 federal districts and 45 states and territories. The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General described the takedown as a coordinated national enforcement effort involving federal and state partners.
Protect yourself from Medicare fraud
Cases like this are a reminder to pay attention to your Medicare paperwork. While most billing is legitimate, reviewing your statements regularly can help you catch errors or potentially fraudulent charges before they become bigger problems.
When you receive a Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits, watch for these warning signs:
- Services, treatments or medical equipment you don’t recognize.
- Bills from doctors or clinics you never visited.
- Duplicate charges for the same service.
- Claims for appointments that were canceled or never happened.
- Diagnoses or procedures that don’t match the care you received.
If something doesn’t look right, contact your health care provider or insurer first. If you still suspect fraud, report it to Medicare or the HHS OIG.
Avoiding medical surprises is another way to protect your finances. Members of MDVIP receive a comprehensive annual wellness exam that includes advanced biomarker analysis, EKGs and inflammation tracking, plus discounts on early-detection screenings through partners like Grail and Prenuvo.
Add a Comment