WSMV4 investigation reveals Russian connection to Tennessee 3 BILL Medicare billing scheme [View all]

Last edited Sat Feb 21, 2026, 12:36 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.wsmv.com/2026/02/20/wsmv4-investigation-reveals-russian-connection-tennessee-medicare-billing-scheme/

What This Story Is About: A WSMV4 investigation uncovered a fraud scheme where Medicare was billed tens of thousands of dollars for Tennessee recipients who never needed or received medical equipment. WSMV4 Investigates connected the fraudulent billing is connected to a Russian citizen living in Texas who has been federally indicted in a Medicare fraud scheme.

Why It Matters: This fraud directly impacts Tennessee Medicare recipients who had their personal information compromised and used for fraudulent billing. Medicare paid these fraudulent claims totaling thousands of dollars per person, representing a significant drain on the federal healthcare program. The case reveals vulnerabilities in Medicare’s oversight system and shows how easily criminals can exploit the program using stolen beneficiary information.

What Happens Next: All Tennessee Medicare recipients identified in this investigation are being encouraged to contact Medicare to get new Medicare ID numbers due to the data breach. The Russian citizen Nika Machutadze faces federal charges for the fraud scheme.
For Context: Medicare doesn’t have the capability to monitor all 68 million enrollees’ claims in real-time, according to Senior Medicare Patrol. A recent data breach at a billing service that works with healthcare providers may explain how criminals obtained Tennessee Medicare recipients’ personal information. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services declined to comment on ongoing investigations.