Texas Doctor Charged With Faking Diagnoses in $240 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

Attorney George F. Indest III HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On May 14, 2018, a Texas doctor was arrested on charges he led a $240 million health care fraud and money laundering scheme. He allegedly falsely diagnosed at least 16 patients with degenerative diseases and gave them unneeded chemotherapy and other treatments.

Fake Diagnoses and Treatments.

The doctor allegedly bilked Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Blue Cross Blue Shield and others through a scheme in which he would falsely diagnose patients with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. According to the indictment, he would then give them treatments based on those false diagnoses, and conduct repetitive and excessive unnecessary medical procedures.

Additionally, the office staff alleges that they were instructed to increase the number of medical procedures performed on patients. If patients questioned him about the diagnoses and procedures, he subsequently dismissed them from his practices, according to the indictment.

In an attempt to hide the scheme from government investigators, he created fake patient records and hid other medical records.

Money Laundering.

The doctor and his alleged co-conspirators submitted about $240 million in false claims to the health care benefit programs and he allegedly used this money to fund a very lavish lifestyle. He allegedly laundered proceeds from the scheme through a money exchange house in Texas, to various accounts maintained by financial institutions in Mexico.

According to prosecutors, the indictment lists 16 patients who were allegedly victims of the scheme, which dates back to 2000. Federal Prosecutors say they will seek the harshest punishment possible in this case.

Click here to read the indictment.

To read about a similar case involving a doctor giving false diagnoses and treatments, click here.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced with Investigations of Health Professionals and Providers.

The attorneys of The Health Law Firm provide legal representation to physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists and other health providers in accusations of disruptive behavior, Department of Health (DOH) investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigations, FBI investigations, Medicare investigations, Medicaid investigations and other types of investigations of health professionals and providers.

To contact The Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Sources:

Krochtengel, Jess. “Texas Doc Charged With Faking Diagnoses In $240M Scheme.” Law360. (May 14, 2018). Web.

“Valley Doctor Charged in Alleged $240M Health Care Fraud Case.” KRGB News. (May 14, 2018). Web.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

KeyWords: Medicaid fraud attorney, Medicaid fraud representation, Medicare fraud attorney, Medicare fraud representation, submitting false claims to the government, False Claims Act defense counsel, FCA attorney, health care litigation lawyer, legal representation for health care fraud defense, health care litigation attorney, representation for unnecessary medical procedures, intentionally misdiagnosing patients, fraudulent billings defense attorney, defrauding health care benefit programs, Medicare audit defense attorney, Medicare billing attorney, physician billing attorney, TRICARE attorney, TRICARE fraud representation, health care fraud representation, Medicaid audit attorney, Medicaid audit representation, Medicare audit representation, fraudulent billing representation, reviews of The Health Law Firm, The Health Law Firm attorney reviews

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2018 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

By |2024-03-14T10:00:24-04:00July 5, 2018|Categories: The Health Law Firm Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Texas Doctor Charged With Faking Diagnoses in $240 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme
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Florida Supreme Court Upholds Amendment 7, Right of Patients to Documents on Adverse Events

George IndestBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

The Florida Supreme Court in Charles v. Southern Baptist Hospital, on January 31, 2017, issued a decision dealing with the relationship of Florida’s Constitution Amendment 7, allowing patient access to documents on adverse medical incidents, and the Federal Patient Safety Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA). The Florida Supreme Court disagreed with the lower court’s interpretation of the PSQIA and that the PSQIA preempted Amendment 7. It ruled that PSQIA was never intended as a shield against the production of documents and that Amendment 7 and other provisions of Florida law are not preempted by PSQIA (which it stated only set up a voluntary system for hospitals to improve patient safety).

The Florida Supreme Court stated that records do not become patient safety work product simply because they are placed in a patient safety evaluation system or submitted to a patient safety organization (PSO), because health care providers have an independent obligation to maintain them and allow patients to access them. A health care provider cannot classify them as confidential and privileged patient safety work product under PSQIA, if they are required to maintain them by separate laws.

Concerning preemption, the Florida Supreme Court indicated that Congress did not intend to preempt state laws or constitutional amendments through the passage of PSQIA, which created a voluntary reporting system. The PSQIA is supposed to operate within existing state reporting and discovery laws. The federal act was intended by Congress to improve the overall healthcare in the system, not to act as a shield to providers, thereby eliminating important right afforded to Florida citizens under Amendment 7. The Supreme Court stated “healthcare providers should not be able to unilaterally decide which documents will be discoverable and which will not in medical malpractice cases.”

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Complex Litigation.

At the Health Law Firm we provide legal services for all health care providers and professionals. This includes physicians, nurses, dentists, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, Durable Medical Equipment suppliers, medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other health care provider. We represent facilities, individuals, groups and institutions in contracts, sales, mergers and acquisitions.

The services we provide include disputes with health insurers, defense of audits, litigation of overpayment demands, reviewing and negotiating contracts, business transactions, professional license defense, representation in investigations, credential defense, representation in peer review and clinical privileges hearings, Medicare and Medicaid audits, commercial litigation, and administrative hearings. Our attorneys litigate in state courts, federal courts, state administrative hearings and federal administrative hearings. We represent plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation matters.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.
KeyWords: Legal representation for health facilities in complex litigation, legal representation for health care professionals in complex litigation matters, complex litigation defense attorney, business litigation defense attorney, health care litigation attorney, complex litigation lawyer, Florida health law attorney, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys, The Health Law Firm

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved

By |2024-03-14T10:01:37-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Health Facilities Law Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment
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Jury Awards $4.4 Million To Chicago Anesthesiologist Defrauded By Business Associate

Headshot of The Health Law Firm's attorney George F. Indest IIIBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On June 9, 2017, a jury in Illinois awarded a Chicago-area anesthesiologist nearly $4.4 million. The jury unanimously agreed that his business associate defrauded him on a revenue sharing agreement and fraudulently reported his earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The jury found that Dr. Martin R. Hall, owner of Keystone Orthopedic Specialists SC (Keystone), stuck Dr. Nicholas Angelopoulos with unwarranted expenses throughout the course of their business dealings. The jury ultimately agreed in favor of Dr. Angelopoulos on all five counts, including two breach of contract counts, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and violation of IRS code.

 

A Sour Business Deal.

According to Dr. Angelopoulos, when he began to question Dr. Hall’s business expenditures, Dr. Hall would not provide sufficient documentation for the purchases. Dr. Angelopoulos also claimed he was not receiving credit for all of his billings. Additionally, over the course of their three-year working relationship, Dr. Angelopoulos claimed that Dr. Hall made payments to his family members, including his wife and his sister, without disclosing it to the other business associates.

In 2008 after Dr. Angelopoulos left Keystone, Dr. Hall came to him with a hand-written tabulation of more than $150,000 Dr. Angelopoulos allegedly owed to Keystone. Dr. Angelopoulos rejected the amount saying it was false.

Fraudulent Reports to the IRS.

In response to the rejection, Dr. Hall then allegedly reported a payment of $159,577.45 to Dr. Angelopoulos in tax documents filed with the IRS. Dr. Hall claimed that it was for the alleged outstanding debt plus an alleged bonus, which Dr. Angelopoulos claimed he never received, according to court documents. Because of this, in 2011 the IRS came after Dr. Angelopoulos for taxes on Dr. Hall’s reported payment, settling the taxable amount at about $120,000.

In the end, jurors agreed with Dr. Angelopoulos that these numbers were inaccurately reported by Dr. Hill in the first place. Additionally, the jury rejected Dr. Hall’s counterclaim arguing that Dr. Angelopoulos still owed him the money.

To view the court document’s in this case, click here.

To read an article I wrote on how to prevent employee embezzlement which was featured in Medical Economics, click here.

To learn more about complex business litigation and examples of how The Health Law Firm can help you, click here.

 

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Business Transactions and Contracts.

At the Health Law Firm we provide legal services for physicians, dentists, and the owners of medical practices. We represent owners, shareholders and employees in shareholder disputes, contract litigation, complex healthcare transactions and complex business litigation. This includes psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, Durable Medical Equipment suppliers, medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other health care provider. We also represent health facilities, individuals, groups and institutions in contracts, sales, mergers and acquisitions.

The services we provide include disputes with health insurers, defense of audits, litigation of overpayment demands, reviewing and negotiating contracts, business transactions, professional license defense, representation in investigations, credential defense, representation in peer review and clinical privileges hearings, Medicare and Medicaid audits, commercial litigation, and administrative hearings. Our attorneys litigate in state courts, federal courts, state administrative hearings and federal administrative hearings. We represent plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation matters.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Source:

Simpson, Dave. “Jury Awards $4.4M To Doc Defrauded By Associate.” Law360. (June 7, 2017). Web.
About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

Keywords: Florida health law attorney, medical practice shareholder dispute lawyer, partnership break-up attorney, health law defense attorney, complex business litigation attorney, legal representation for contract negotiations, legal representation for health mergers and acquisitions, DOJ Antitrust Division lawyer, legal representation for complex business litigation, legal representation for contract disputes, legal representation for complex health care litigation, health care litigation attorney, complex litigation lawyer, medical practice ownership litigation, medical clinic employemnt dispute lawyer, legal counsel for health care business transactions, legal representation for health care contracts, contract negotiations lawyer, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

By |2024-03-14T10:01:38-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Health Facilities Law Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Jury Awards $4.4 Million To Chicago Anesthesiologist Defrauded By Business Associate
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Jury Awards $4.4 Million To Chicago Anesthesiologist Defrauded By Business Associate

George IndestBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On June 9, 2017, a jury in Illinois awarded a Chicago-area anesthesiologist nearly $4.4 million. The jury unanimously agreed that his business associate defrauded him on a revenue sharing agreement and fraudulently reported his earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The jury found that Dr. Martin R. Hall, owner of Keystone Orthopedic Specialists SC (Keystone), stuck Dr. Nicholas Angelopoulos with unwarranted expenses throughout the course of their business dealings. The jury ultimately agreed in favor of Dr. Angelopoulos on all five counts, including two breach of contract counts, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and violation of IRS code.

 

A Sour Business Deal.

According to Dr. Angelopoulos, when he began to question Dr. Hall’s business expenditures, Dr. Hall would not provide sufficient documentation for the purchases. Dr. Angelopoulos also claimed he was not receiving credit for all of his billings. Additionally, over the course of their three-year working relationship, Dr. Angelopoulos claimed that Dr. Hall made payments to his family members, including his wife and his sister, without disclosing it to the other business associates.

In 2008 after Dr. Angelopoulos left Keystone, Dr. Hall came to him with a hand-written tabulation of more than $150,000 Dr. Angelopoulos allegedly owed to Keystone. Dr. Angelopoulos rejected the amount saying it was false.

Fraudulent Reports to the IRS.

In response to the rejection, Dr. Hall then allegedly reported a payment of $159,577.45 to Dr. Angelopoulos in tax documents filed with the IRS. Dr. Hall claimed that it was for the alleged outstanding debt plus an alleged bonus, which Dr. Angelopoulos claimed he never received, according to court documents. Because of this, in 2011 the IRS came after Dr. Angelopoulos for taxes on Dr. Hall’s reported payment, settling the taxable amount at about $120,000.

In the end, jurors agreed with Dr. Angelopoulos that these numbers were inaccurately reported by Dr. Hill in the first place. Additionally, the jury rejected Dr. Hall’s counterclaim arguing that Dr. Angelopoulos still owed him the money.

To view the court document’s in this case, click here.

To read an article I wrote on how to prevent employee embezzlement which was featured in Medical Economics, click here.

To learn more about complex business litigation and examples of how The Health Law Firm can help you, click here.

 

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Business Transactions and Contracts.

At the Health Law Firm we provide legal services for physicians, dentists, and the owners of medical practices. We represent owners, shareholders and employees in shareholder disputes, contract litigation, complex healthcare transactions and complex business litigation. This includes psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, Durable Medical Equipment suppliers, medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other health care provider. We also represent health facilities, individuals, groups and institutions in contracts, sales, mergers and acquisitions.

The services we provide include disputes with health insurers, defense of audits, litigation of overpayment demands, reviewing and negotiating contracts, business transactions, professional license defense, representation in investigations, credential defense, representation in peer review and clinical privileges hearings, Medicare and Medicaid audits, commercial litigation, and administrative hearings. Our attorneys litigate in state courts, federal courts, state administrative hearings and federal administrative hearings. We represent plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation matters.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Source:

Simpson, Dave. “Jury Awards $4.4M To Doc Defrauded By Associate.” Law360. (June 7, 2017). Web.
About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

Keywords: Florida health law attorney, medical practice shareholder dispute lawyer, partnership break-up attorney, health law defense attorney, complex business litigation attorney, legal representation for contract negotiations, legal representation for health mergers and acquisitions, DOJ Antitrust Division lawyer, legal representation for complex business litigation, legal representation for contract disputes, legal representation for complex health care litigation, health care litigation attorney, complex litigation lawyer, medical practice ownership litigation, medical clinic employemnt dispute lawyer, legal counsel for health care business transactions, legal representation for health care contracts, contract negotiations lawyer, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

By |2024-03-14T10:01:45-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Dental Law Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |Comments Off on Jury Awards $4.4 Million To Chicago Anesthesiologist Defrauded By Business Associate
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Jury Awards $4.4 Million To Chicago Anesthesiologist Defrauded By Business Associate

George IndestBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

On June 9, 2017, a jury in Illinois awarded a Chicago-area anesthesiologist nearly $4.4 million. The jury unanimously agreed that his business associate defrauded him on a revenue sharing agreement and fraudulently reported his earnings to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The jury found that Dr. Martin R. Hall, owner of Keystone Orthopedic Specialists SC (Keystone), stuck Dr. Nicholas Angelopoulos with unwarranted expenses throughout the course of their business dealings. The jury ultimately agreed in favor of Dr. Angelopoulos on all five counts, including two breach of contract counts, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and violation of IRS code.

 

A Sour Business Deal.

According to Dr. Angelopoulos, when he began to question Dr. Hall’s business expenditures, Dr. Hall would not provide sufficient documentation for the purchases. Dr. Angelopoulos also claimed he was not receiving credit for all of his billings. Additionally, over the course of their three-year working relationship, Dr. Angelopoulos claimed that Dr. Hall made payments to his family members, including his wife and his sister, without disclosing it to the other business associates.

In 2008 after Dr. Angelopoulos left Keystone, Dr. Hall came to him with a hand-written tabulation of more than $150,000 Dr. Angelopoulos allegedly owed to Keystone. Dr. Angelopoulos rejected the amount saying it was false.

Fraudulent Reports to the IRS.

In response to the rejection, Dr. Hall then allegedly reported a payment of $159,577.45 to Dr. Angelopoulos in tax documents filed with the IRS. Dr. Hall claimed that it was for the alleged outstanding debt plus an alleged bonus, which Dr. Angelopoulos claimed he never received, according to court documents. Because of this, in 2011 the IRS came after Dr. Angelopoulos for taxes on Dr. Hall’s reported payment, settling the taxable amount at about $120,000.

In the end, jurors agreed with Dr. Angelopoulos that these numbers were inaccurately reported by Dr. Hill in the first place. Additionally, the jury rejected Dr. Hall’s counterclaim arguing that Dr. Angelopoulos still owed him the money.

To view the court document’s in this case, click here.

To read an article I wrote on how to prevent employee embezzlement which was featured in Medical Economics, click here.

To learn more about complex business litigation and examples of how The Health Law Firm can help you, click here.

 

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Business Transactions and Contracts.

At the Health Law Firm we provide legal services for physicians, dentists, and the owners of medical practices. We represent owners, shareholders and employees in shareholder disputes, contract litigation, complex healthcare transactions and complex business litigation. This includes psychologists, psychiatrists, mental health counselors, Durable Medical Equipment suppliers, medical students and interns, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, pain management clinics, nursing homes, and any other health care provider. We also represent health facilities, individuals, groups and institutions in contracts, sales, mergers and acquisitions.

The services we provide include disputes with health insurers, defense of audits, litigation of overpayment demands, reviewing and negotiating contracts, business transactions, professional license defense, representation in investigations, credential defense, representation in peer review and clinical privileges hearings, Medicare and Medicaid audits, commercial litigation, and administrative hearings. Our attorneys litigate in state courts, federal courts, state administrative hearings and federal administrative hearings. We represent plaintiffs and defendants in complex litigation matters.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Source:

Simpson, Dave. “Jury Awards $4.4M To Doc Defrauded By Associate.” Law360. (June 7, 2017). Web.
About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

Keywords: Florida health law attorney, medical practice shareholder dispute lawyer, partnership break-up attorney, health law defense attorney, complex business litigation attorney, legal representation for contract negotiations, legal representation for health mergers and acquisitions, DOJ Antitrust Division lawyer, legal representation for complex business litigation, legal representation for contract disputes, legal representation for complex health care litigation, health care litigation attorney, complex litigation lawyer, medical practice ownership litigation, medical clinic employemnt dispute lawyer, legal counsel for health care business transactions, legal representation for health care contracts, contract negotiations lawyer, The Health Law Firm reviews, reviews of The Health Law Firm attorneys

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of and a registered service mark of The Health Law Firm, P.A., a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2017 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

By |2024-03-14T10:01:53-04:00May 15, 2018|Categories: Mental Health Law Blog|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment
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“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A.
The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 2022 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.
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