South Florida Doctor Gets 3 Years for Medicare Fraud

July 20, 2016

A South Florida doctor will spend more than three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to falsely diagnosing hundreds of patients in a Medicare fraud scheme.

Court records show the 57-year-old Delray Beach doctor was also ordered Wednesday by a federal judge to pay more than $2.1 million in restitution to the government. The man previously pleaded guilty to health care fraud.

Authorities claim the man falsely diagnosed 387 patients enrolled in the Medicare Advantage program with a rare spinal condition. The patients were enrolled in a Humana Inc. health plan that was reimbursed for each diagnosis by Medicare.

The federal program paid out $2.1 million in excess benefits, 80 percent of which went to the doctor. Almost none of the patients actually had the rare spinal condition, according to reports.

Medicare and Medicaid fraud is taken quite seriously on local, state and federal levels. It is important to note that these cases are heavily investigated before charges are brought forth. With that said, you will most likely know about the possibility of being charged long before an indictment is filed against you.

Should you learn that you are under investigation for Medicare or Medicaid fraud, you need to act fast and retain legal assistance right away. Our South Florida Insurance Fraud Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help with your case right away. Call us today at 561-367-8777 or contact us online. The sooner we get involved, the better the chances are that we can obtain the best possible resolution for the charges against you.