healthcare fraud

September 6, 2023

Chicago Chiropractor Charged With Fraud

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

A Chicago chiropractor is facing federal fraud charges after billing a private insurer for nonexistent services. The defendant is alleged to have owned and operated Movement Health and Rehab, also known as Motu Chiropractic. According to federal authorities, he submitted false claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for health care services that the defendant knew he never rendered. In some cases, allegedly fraudulent claims were rendered on dates when the patient or their chiropractor was not in Illinois. Other claims involved chiropractic services that were provided to the defendant and his family members even when the defendant knew that those services were not provided. Blue Cross Blue Shield denies claims that are provided to family members. So, the defendant knew that the claim would be denied.

When Blue Cross Blue Shield audited the defendant’s claims, he submitted false patient information to them. As a result of the fraudulent claims, the defendant made $430,000 in ill-gotten proceeds, according to the indictment. The defendant is now facing 14 counts of healthcare fraud. Each individual count is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. Below, we will discuss the crime of healthcare fraud.

Those Accused of Healthcare Fraud Often Face Federal Charges

October 1, 2021

Former NBA Players Accused of Defrauding NBA Health Care Program

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Melvin Ely and Will Bynum, both of whom are former NBA players from the Chicago area, are facing fraud charges related to a scheme involving the NBA players’ health care program. The pair will face charges in a federal Manhattan court where the indictment was unsealed.

The indictment names 19 defendants, 18 of whom are former NBA players. The former players are accused of defrauding the Health and Welfare program of nearly $4 million. The fraud was masterminded by former New Jersey Nets star Terrence Williams. Williams was paid kickbacks of about $250,000 to actuate the fraud, while players stole a reported $2.5 in personal proceeds.

While the story by now has made it to major airwaves, details of the prosecution are as of yet unknown. The defendants are facing charges of aggravated identity theft, health care fraud, and wire fraud.

September 24, 2021

Defendants Face Vaccine Card Charges

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Federal authorities have announced the arrest of two individuals who have been accused of embezzling vaccine cards from their place of employment for sale elsewhere. The first defendant is a registered nurse who stole vaccine cards from her employer at the VA Hospital. Another defendant is facing charges that he purchased counterfeit vaccine cards and attempted to sell them on Facebook.

The nurse is facing charges of theft of government property and embezzlement related to a health care benefit program. The Facebook guy is facing charges for trafficking in counterfeit goods and fraud related to official government documents. The charges have been filed and prosecuted by the U.S. State Attorney’s office meaning that both defendants will face federal charges for their role in distributing fraudulent vaccine cards.

The government does not take kindly to those defrauding the system. They contend such efforts place everyone at risk and undermine the efforts of health officials.

August 24, 2021

Chicago Physicians Facing Narcotics Charges

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Two Chicago physicians are charged with prescribing opioids to patients who had no legitimate need of them, according to a federal indictment announced on the Department of Justice’s website. According to the charges, the two prescribed high-dose narcotics such as fentanyl and oxycodone to patients without conducting a meaningful examination or medical tests. The doctors are accused of knowingly dispensing the drugs to patients whom they knew for a fact had no legitimate medical need for high-powered opioids.

Further, the two physicians are accused of colluding after one of the two named in the indictment lost his license to prescribe medicine. That physician used another physician to fill prescriptions, and now they are both going to be charged with fraud, trafficking controlled substances, and more. Another element of the crime is the fact that the physicians sought Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for the improper prescriptions.

The Opioid Crisis

January 3, 2018

Medicaid Fraud in Chicago

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

The government is trying to review and reform the healthcare system, but there are still some people in Chicago who are committing Medicaid fraud. There are many fraud prevention measures that have been put in place. Yet, there are people who work to see how they can deceive the government.

This is a serious offense that can lead to serious jail time. Recently, Santila Terry, a 45-year-old woman who lives in Chicago, was facing charges for committing both identity and Medicaid fraud. The total estimated loss in the case was almost $1 million. This case is typical in terms of how frauds of that nature are committed.

A service provider bills the government for services that were never delivered right up until they are discovered. According to reports from the Attorney General, Santila was claiming to provide speech therapy to people who did not exist. Another part of the case was identity fraud. Special Therapy Care Chartered used the personal information and Medicaid service provider ID of a previous employee to falsely bill the government.

March 22, 2017

Healthcare Fraud in Chicago: Stealing from the Most Vulnerable

by Law Offices of David L. Freidberg, P.C.

Healthcare fraud has been raised as a matter of concern not only in Chicago but in the country as a whole. It raises the costs of providing healthcare and also means that vulnerable people who need support are left behind. The cases in this category are unique because they often provide a corporate entity that is tasked with the role of distributing healthcare services. The large scale Medicare fraud occurs within the modalities of overcharging the state or alternatively charging it for services that were never delivered. In either case, the consequences for those involved can be dire. They could lose the license to practice and may be banned from government contracts for a considerable period of time.

Over time, a number of fairly consistent patterns of offending have emerged. First of all, there are three main modalities including Medicare Fraud, Medicaid Fraud, and Kickbacks. Each of these modalities are united by deceit and illegal benefits. For example, overbilling has been a persistent problem in Medicaid and Medicare programs, despite the stringent protective measures that were adopted by Congress and local legislatures. In some cases, the service provider is so overwhelmed by paperwork and bureaucracy that they end up making inadvertent mistakes. Obviously the courts will take into consideration both the act and the intention behind it before passing judgement.

Damaging the Integrity of the System