United States – A nurse practitioner from Tuguegarao City now sits at the center of one of the largest healthcare fraud cases ever filed in the United States. Federal prosecutors say Marizel Yukee, a Filipina based in Las Vegas, built a network that allegedly cheated Medicare and TRICARE out of close to $1 billion (roughly P51.6 billion) by billing the government for treatments patients never needed.
What Prosecutors Say Happened
According to a news report, Yukee and her alleged co-conspirators targeted some of the most vulnerable patients in the system — the elderly and the terminally ill, including those in hospice care.
The scheme reportedly centered on unnecessary wound-care treatments. Investigators say the group then sent inflated bills to government health programs that serve seniors, persons with disabilities, and military families.
The numbers paint the scale of the case:
- More than $906 million in false claims were filed between October 2023 and April 2026
- About $297 million (around P16.9 billion) was actually paid out by Medicare and TRICARE
How the Operation Allegedly Ran
Prosecutors allege Yukee operated four wound-care clinics spread across:
- Texas
- Nevada
- California
- Hawaii
To keep patients flowing in, she reportedly paid illegal kickbacks for referrals and accepted payments from allograft distributors. Court documents also accuse her of falsifying patient records to support the fraudulent billing.
A Lavish Lifestyle Under Scrutiny
The indictment claims Yukee used the proceeds to fund an extravagant lifestyle. Among the assets prosecutors linked to the alleged fraud:
- A Ferrari supercar worth more than $500,000 (about P28.5 million)
- A Bulgari necklace valued at $865,000 (around P49.3 million)
- A $1-million home in Hawaii (about P57 million)
- A $4.6-million beach resort under construction in Santa Ana, Cagayan (around P262.2 million)
Federal authorities are now seeking forfeiture of these properties, vehicles, bank accounts, and other assets.
The Charges She Faces
Yukee has been charged with several federal offenses:
- Conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud
- Healthcare fraud
- Conspiracy to pay and receive illegal kickbacks
- Money laundering
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, has already issued a warrant for her arrest.
For now, Yukee remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The case is expected to draw close attention from Filipino communities abroad, many of whom work in healthcare across the United States.