A healthcare fraudster operating out of Massachusetts agreed on Monday to pay back $1.4 million to resolve allegations of Medicare and Medicaid overbilling but will face no jail time.
Two behavioral health clinics, Nova Psychiatric Services, P.C. (Nova), Patriot Eldercare, Inc. (Patriot),and their president and director, Alexandra Accardi, agreed to pay after they allegedly billed for psychotherapy and medication management services in violation of the False Claims Act.
The settlement agreement also required Accardi and her companies to accept responsibility for some of the basis for the settlement.
The two companies, known collectively as Prime Behavioral Health, had offices in Quincy and Weymouth, Massachusetts.
From January 1, 2017, through May 18, 2023, the two companies billed Medicare, Medicaid, and the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission (GIC) for medication management and psychotherapy services that were never provided.
Nova’s Chief Operating Officer, Miguel Saravia, instructed private contractors to alter claims before they were submitted to add in billing codes for services never provided.
Employees at both Nova and Patriot informed Accardi and Saravia about the billing practices, but they made no changes.
In September 2024, Saravia was charged with healthcare fraud related to the scheme. He pleaded guilty in March 2025 but was sentenced to just 3.5 months in prison and was ordered to pay $561,141 in restitution.
Some of the claims resolved in Monday’s agreement were brought under whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act that allow the whistleblower to receive a portion of the recovered funds.
They need to go to prison, pay back the taxpayers and never be allowed to receive taxpayer funds in the future