Texas Physician Charged With Healthcare Fraud

A federal grand jury has charged Anthony Francis Valdez, MD, with carrying out an estimated $41 million healthcare fraud scheme, according to a report by KFOXTV.com.

The charges include 21 counts of healthcare fraud, 20 counts of false statements relating to healthcare fraud, 21 counts of mail fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, four counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances and 16 counts of money laundering. In addition, the indictment includes a notice of criminal forfeiture for $1.7 million in cash, two residences and five vehicles.

Dr. Valdez is the owner of the Institute of Pain Management, which has clinics in San Antonio and El Paso, Texas. According to the indictment, Dr. Valdez caused to be submitted reimbursement claims for peripheral nerve injections, facet injection procedure and office visits which never occurred. The indictment alleges that instead of these procedures, he performed prolotherapy, a procedure for which healthcare programs do not reimburse. These fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission between Jan. 2001 and Dec. 2009, according to the report.

If convicted, Dr. Valdez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, mail fraud and unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, up to 10 years in federal prison for each count of healthcare fraud, and up to five years in federal prison for each count of making a false statement.

Read the KFOXTV.com report on Dr. Anthony Francis Valdez.



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