In 2018 and 2019, Colby Edward Joyner worked as an independent contractor for a physician staffing and telemedicine company, where he signed fraudulent prescriptions for medically unnecessary genetic testing for more than 600 Medicare beneficiaries, according to an Oct. 4 news release from the Justice Department.
Despite never meeting, seeing or treating the beneficiaries, and only having brief telephone conversations with them or no interactions at all, Mr. Joyner received pre-filled prescription forms and related patient records from the telemedicine company and its clients, involving patients pre-selected for genetic testing. He then electronically signed the forms and returned them, receiving $12 to $15 per consultation.
Mr. Joyner falsified medical records to hide the fact that he was not the beneficiaries’ treating physician and had not conducted medical evaluations or examinations. He also falsely certified that the genetic tests were medically necessary, leading to the submission of over $10 million in fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare, with more than $3.6 million in fraudulent payments.
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