CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a physician on fraud charges for approving medically unnecessary tests that were billed to Medicare. While working for Chicago-based Grand Medical Clinic Inc., DR. OMAR GARCIA authorized percutaneous allergen tests for … Read More
A patient recruiter was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for receiving more than $1 million in illegal kickback payments. Dominic Trumbo, 45, who owned a consulting agency in Virginia, recruited – or paid others to recruit – more … Read More
Paul Mathieu, MD, of New Jersey, was recently sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid of $30 Million. He was convicted in May on charges of health care fraud, wire … Read More
LONGVIEW, Texas — A Texas man who operated a private ambulance service must serve 30 months in federal prison and pay more than $750,000 in restitution after being convicted for fraudulently billing Medicare and Medicaid. Joseph Valdie Kimble, who operated … Read More
Philip Esformes, the Miami Beach healthcare mogul sentenced to 20 years in a massive Medicare fraud case, must pay more than $44 million to the taxpayer-funded program and U.S. government, a federal judge decided Thursday. Esformes, found guilty of various … Read More
Nearly two dozen people have been charged by Florida’s Office of Statewide Prosecution for their involvement in a multi-million dollar Medicare fraud scheme that took place at two Miami pharmacies over the course of several years. A total of 19 … Read More
The founder of an area health care clinic is headed to prison for orchestrating a fraud that netted her more than $6 million over three years. Sandra Haar, 59, of Merced, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Lawrence … Read More
HOUSTON, TX — With the plea of a 46-year-old Houston man, 13 people now stand convicted in the healthcare scam involving Continuum Healthcare and its various health centers in the Houston area, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Steven Houseworth … Read More
Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, one of the United States’ oldest and most respected nonprofit health insurance plans, is accused of bilking Medicare out of millions of dollars in a federal whistleblower case. Teresa Ross, a former medical billing manager … Read More
A federal jury in Texas found a physician who was the owner and operator of a medical clinic in Houston, Texas, guilty today of participating in a $16 million Medicare fraud scheme in which she signed false and fraudulent “plans … Read More
Seven Floridians including four doctors are among 35 people arrested Friday by the FBI for alleged involvement in a $2.1 billion fraud that charged Medicare for false cancer genomic tests (CGx tests). According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), … Read More
LUBBOCK, Texas — On Tuesday, a federal judge partially unsealed a lawsuit against Covenant Health in which Dr. Howard Beck made allegations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. In September 2016, Beck filed a Qui Tam lawsuit against Covenant. Qui Tam … Read More
A CMS rule expands its ability to revoke or deny providers’ position serving in federal networks in an effort to combat fraud in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. “The provisions we are finalizing in this rule are necessary to address various … Read More
The FBI on Thursday charged Bay Area health care professionals and the CEO of a home health care facility on allegations of Medicare fraud. The Department of Justice says the Medicare and Medicaid fraud case cost taxpayers more than $115 … Read More
SPRINGFIELD — A Branson physician has blown the whistle on what he calls Medicare fraud at CoxHealth. In a lawsuit filed in 2017 and unsealed earlier this year, Dr. Charles Rasmussen accuses the hospital system and two other Missouri companies … Read More
EL CENTRO — A federal judge has granted a stay of forfeiture of assets of a local dentist pending the outcome of an ongoing criminal investigation. Back in April, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil complaint in U.S. District … Read More
A Texas federal judge dismissed a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White Health overbilled Medicare by improperly upcoding claims, according to Law360. The whistleblower lawsuit, filed in 2017, alleges Baylor Scott & White Health submitted more … Read More
Among the thousands of people charged with Medicare fraud in Miami, only a handful would qualify as repeat offenders. Meet one of them, Vicente Gonzalez Acosta. A decade ago, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to helping a Miami-based network of HIV-therapy clinics … Read More
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A blood-testing company filed for bankruptcy and says it’s cutting jobs because Medicare payments have been withheld over allegations of fraud. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports True Health Diagnostics LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this … Read More
Alabama-based Encompass Health Corporation (now HealthSouth Corp.) has agreed to pay $48 million to settle Medicare fraud allegations. According to prosecutors, Encompass’s Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) falsified “disuse myopathy” diagnostics in order to maintain their standing as high-reimbursement Medicare-approved IRFs. … Read More
The last person arrested in what federal authorities allege was a scam that bilked Medicare out of $150 million was the first to plead guilty. Jesus Virlar-Cadena, of San Antonio, pleaded guilty Tuesday afternoon to charges of conspiracy to commit … Read More
In a Lowndes County federal courtroom a jury handed down guilty verdicts for conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and six counts of healthcare fraud, according to court records. Moss faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 … Read More
A doctor from Morristown was found guilty on charges related to a $30 million Medicare and Medicaid scheme, authorities said on Thursday. Paul Mathieu, 53, posed as the owner of three medical clinics in Brooklyn for six years while billing … Read More
Cleburne resident Sparrow Joe on Monday said she and her husband, Raymond Luther, were surprised to receive packages of medical equipment they never requested and later outraged by the response they received from others. In a turn that appears possibly … Read More
Philip Esformes, an obsessive businessman who built an empire of healthcare facilities in Miami-Dade, was found guilty Friday of over 20 charges, including bribery and paying kickbacks, in a scheme to generate streams of patients for both his businesses. The … Read More
McALLEN — One of two men accused of playing roles in a Medicare fraud scheme was sentenced Wednesday, court records show. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced Palmview resident Ivar Cantu Maldonado, 47, to a 56-month prison term more than … Read More
United States Attorney John H. Durham, Special Agent in Charge Phillip Coyne of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong today announced that DR. BASSAM AWWA and his medical … Read More
The Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $269.2 million to settle two separate whistleblower lawsuits accusing it of civil fraud for overbilling federal healthcare programs for over ten years. Insulin Settlement In the first suit, the chain will pay … Read More
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKBN) – Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Thursday that Ohio will be joining other states in settling two whistleblower lawsuits against Walgreens Boots Alliance. According to a press release, the agreements settle allegations that Walgreens knowingly … Read More
January 30, 2019, Washington, DC—Two Houston, TX, physicians were sentenced to 25-year and 3-year prison terms for their roles in separate schemes to defraud Medicare out of payments for medical services. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice … Read More
A Dearborn pharmacist accused of prescribing medication to dead people and billing Medicare and Medicaid is now facing serious consequences. Haytham “Tom” Fakih is no stranger to the spotlight. Local 4 interviewed him in April after he began using halal … Read More
LONDON, Ky. (WKYT) – A cardiologist in southern Kentucky will spend years in federal prison after being convicted on fraud charges. U.S. District Court Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove sentenced Dr. Anis Chalhoub to 42 months in federal prison for … Read More
October 17, 2018 – New high-profile Medicare fraud cases have led to convictions and lengthy prison sentences for providers that attempted to defraud Medicare of $36.9 million. Federal agencies including HHS, the FBI, the Department of Justice (DoJ), and the … Read More
A Houston, Texas-area patient recruiter was sentenced to 108 months in prison today for her role in a $3.6 million Medicare fraud scheme involving fraudulent claims for home health services. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s … Read More
An Arlington, Texas physician has reached a plea deal for his role in a hospice scheme that defrauded Medicare and Medicaid out of $60 million, in part by signing blank prescriptions, according to the Dallas Morning News. Charles Raymond Leach, … Read More
Legal problems are piling up fast for a Texas family about six hours south of Houston. A McAllen doctor was arrested back in May on suspicions that he is part of a $240 million health care fraud and international money … Read More
The former CEO of Merced, Calif.-based Horisons Unlimited, a nonprofit chain of health clinics, pleaded guilty Aug. 13 to healthcare fraud and conspiracy to receive kickbacks, according to the Department of Justice. Sandra Haar, the former CEO, orchestrated a scheme … Read More
Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that physician MUSTAK Y. VAID was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield to 18 months in prison for his participation in a … Read More
A Brooklyn doctor and four co-conspirators plead guilty in the past week to defrauding Medicare and Medicaid of $30 million, after it was discovered they were billing patients for unnecessary services. Elderly patients were charged for inessential tests and medical … Read More
AUSTIN – Attorney General Ken Paxton says the man who shelled out the most money to help him combat securities fraud charges is a “family friend,” but a review of campaign finance records show his main financier is also a … Read More
