A physician in Cordele, Ga., has pleaded guilty to his role in a $24 million scheme to defraud Medicare.
What happened?
- Marion Lee, MD, 62, was the co-owner and advisor of Tifton, Ga.-based Luminus Diagnostics, according to a Nov. 20 Justice Department news release. He conspired with others to procure orders for genetic testing in exchange for kickbacks, including for orders acquired through purported telemedicine.
- Dr. Lee and his co-conspirators designed the testing order forms to be “dummy proof” with prepopulated diagnosis codes and check-the-box panels as a method of ensuring that the fraudulent claims would be paid. They frequently billed the tests through another lab in Louisiana where they thought the claims were more likely to be approved.
- Dr. Lee and his co-conspirators submitted more than $24 million in fraudulent claims, of which Medicare paid $4 million.
What comes next?
- Dr. Lee is set to be sentenced March 18, 2026. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He must also pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100 and has agreed to pay more than $4 million in restitution.
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