By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law
On May 1, 2017, a federal jury in Michigan found a Detroit-area doctor and owner of a medical billing company guilty of perpetrating a $28 million health care fraud scheme. The scheme involved billing Medicare for pain treatments that weren’t actually provided, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Health Care Fraud Scheme.
Dr. Johnny Trotter and Elaine Lovett were both convicted after a four-week jury trial on one count of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud and three counts of health care fraud. In addition to the fraud scheme, both Trotter and Lovett also worked to dodge Medicare’s investigation into Trotter, according to the DOJ.
Evidence at the trial showed that between May 2008 and May 2014, both Trotter and Lovett fraudulently billed for services that were never provided. These services were predominantly nerve block injections, which treat pain by numbing groups of nerves.
In 2009, Medicare grew suspicious and began to require that claims submitted by Trotter satisfy a medical review prior to payment pre-payment review). As a result, both Trotter and Lovett conspired to dodge this investigation by starting fake medical centers, according to the prosecution said.
Trotter and Lovett attempted to hide their involvement by recruiting family members and employees to serve as “straw owners” of the companies. Meanwhile, the two fraudsters continued receiving payment for services that weren’t provided, the government said.
To learn more about health care fraud and the repercussions of Medicare fraud, click here to read one of my prior blogs.
Watch our short video blog on Medicare fraud and the audit process here.
Contact a Health Care Attorney Experienced in the Representation of Medicare and Medicaid Fraud.
The Health Law Firm and its attorneys routinely represent physicians, dentists, orthodontists, medical groups, clinics, pharmacies, assisted living facilities (AFLs), home health care agencies, nursing homes, group homes and other healthcare providers in Medicare and Medicare investigations, audits and recovery actions.
To contact the Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.
Sources:
Kennedy, John. “Jury Convicts 2 Over $28M Medicare Pain Treatment Fraud.” Law360. (May 1, 2017). Web.
“Jury Convicts 2 Over $28M Medicare Pain Treatment Fraud.” Lexis Nexis. (May 1. 2017). Web.
About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.
KeyWords: Medicare audit defense attorney, Medicare fraud defense attorney, legal representation for Medicare fraud, legal representation for Medicare fraud investigation, Medicare Strike Force, legal representation for fraudulent claims, prepayment review attorneys, legal representation for submitting false claims, Medicare overbilling defense attorney, Medicare audit defense lawyer, legal representation for allegations of Medicare fraud, health care fraud defense attorney, Medicare fraud defense attorney, legal representation for Medicare termination, Medicarelegal representation for Medicare exclusion, OIG exclusion defense attorney, The Health Law Firm, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys
“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.
