New York’s WNBC recently reported on an alleged health care scam that has cost taxpayers more than $100 million. “This massive scheme, which provided no patient care at all, wasted millions of taxpayer dollars dedicated to Medicaid and Medicare,” said Brooklyn’s acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
Law enforcement authorities claim that an NYPD surgeon, three other doctors and 17 additional people engaged in Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Along with those 20 individuals, 14 corporations were also named in the 878-count indictment.
Officials said that recruiters looked for homeless people and others with low incomes at soup kitchens and job centers and asked if they were enrolled in Medicare or Medicaid. If the person had a valid enrollment card, they were paid between $30 and $50 to go to a clinic to undergo some tests.
According to prosecutors, the tests were bogus; not even administered by a physician. The tests were merely a pretext for billing the publicly funded federal and state health care programs for rafts of tests that were not needed and were not administered.
Gonzalez said the operation began in early 2015 and lasted through the end of November of this year.
If you face investigation or accusations involving health care fraud, speak to an attorney devoted to defending your rights and interests before discussing matters with investigators with the Office of the Inspector General, the FBI or others.
Rivas Goldstein LLP is experienced in representing clients in inquiries involving possible Anti-Kickback violations, billing or coding discrepancies and related matters.
