Owners of Florida Medical Clinics Plead Guilty to Medicare Kickback Fraud

The owners and operators of two Miami medical clinics, and a phlebotomist at one of the clinics, have pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to submit approximately $5.3 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare, according to the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

The defendants admitted that they, or co-conspirators, entered into kickback arrangements with Medicare beneficiaries whereby the beneficiaries were paid every week in exchange for their Medicare billing information, thus allowing the clinics, which claimed to specialize in the treatment of HIV-positive patients, to submit fraudulent bills.

The defendants also admitted that none of the Medicare beneficiaries needed the injection and infusion treatments billed to Medicare by the clinics. The phlebotomist admitted to administering unnecessary drugs intravenously to HIV patients.

Sentencing for the three defendants is scheduled for April 3; four co-defendants in the case are scheduled for trial beginning Feb. 9.

Read a news release from the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida on the Miami Medicare fraud.

© Copyright ASC COMMUNICATIONS 2012. Interested in LINKING to or REPRINTING this content? View our policies by clicking here.