HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section have filed criminal charges against two sisters accused of switching identities to secure nearly $30,000 in medical insurance coverage for a surgical procedure performed at a Philadelphia hospital.
Corbett identified the defendants as Tirhas Mekonnen, 26, of Wilmington, Delaware, along with her sister Woinshet Mekonnen, 34, of Ethiopia.
Tirhas Mekonnen
Woinshet Mekonnen
Corbett said that Tirhas Mekonnen allowed her sister, Woinshet, to use her medical insurance identification cards in order to have a surgical procedure performed in Philadelphia. The sisters conspired to switch identities in the belief that the medical insurance system could be easily manipulated, and also because Woinshet Mekonnen preferred to have the surgery performed in the U.S. rather than in Ethiopia.
“Insurance fraud schemes, including medical ID Theft, ultimately take money out of the pockets of every Pennsylvania resident, boosting insurance premiums for employers and employees alike,” Corbett said. “Fraudulent claims are a driving force behind the increased cost of health insurance and the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section is committed to identifying and prosecuting the individuals who orchestrate these scams.”
According to the criminal complaint, Woinshet Mekonnen utilized her sisters’ insurance to cover all of her
medical expenses incurred during and after the surgery, ultimately resulting in a bill of in excess of $29,000 being submitted to Blue/Cross and Blue Shield by Northeastern Hospital in Philadelphia. Multiple doctors and home health care workers treated Woinshet Mekonnen, holding herself out as her sister.
The defendants are each charged with two counts of insurance fraud, one count of conspiracy, and one count of theft by deception, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.
Tirhas Mekonnen and Woinshet Mekonnen were both arrested in Wilmington, Delaware by officers from the Wilmington Police Department, who assisted the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section. Both defendants are currently free on $10,000 cash bail, awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. An extradition hearing is scheduled for March 24, 2008, in Wilmington.
The case will be prosecuted in Philadelphia County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Gregg Shore of the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section.
Corbett thanked the Wilmington Delaware Police Department and the Delaware Department of Insurance, Fraud Prevention Bureau, for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.