An Alabama-based physician has pleaded guilty to a $6 million telemedicine fraud scheme involving medically unnecessary durable medical equipment and genetic testing, according to a Nov. 13 news release from the Justice Department.
What happened?
- Between December 2018 and March 2021, Tommie Robinson, MD, worked with telemedicine companies to sign medical documentation, including physicians’ orders, for durable medical equipment and genetic tests that were not medically necessary.
- The orders Dr. Robinson signed were pre-populated based on telemarketing calls made to Medicare beneficiaries. He did not typically contact the beneficiaries himself and had no established medical relationship with them.
- As a result of Dr. Robinson’s participation, more than $6 million in unnecessary claims were submitted to Medicare.
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