New York Physician Charged with Defrauding Medicare by Billing for Unnecessary Services
Since taking on the Wall Street establishment and corrupt mortgage bankers, we have received an email from a former health care worker asking why we don’t take cases against physicians who “abuse” the Medicare program. Although most doctors are honest, like all professions there are always some who try to game the system and collect more than they should. It’s usually taxpayers that wind up footing the bill.
Read the press releases coming from any U.S. Attorney’s Office and there is usually at least several highlighting charges against a doctor for health care fraud. Last week a Forest Hills, new York physician was indicted for health care fraud.
According to court records, Dr. Emma Poroger for years billed Medicare for medical tests and treatments that were either unnecessary or not even performed. In just 3 years, Poroger billed Medicare for $13 million in services. The medically unnecessary services included vitamin infusion therapy, sleep studies, nerve conduction tests and duplex scans.
The feds charged her with 14 counts of health care fraud, a serious felony punishable by prison.
[Update: In 2012 Dr. Proger entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. In 2015 she was sentenced to 5 years probation and ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution.]
Unfortunately, cases like these happen every day. Medicare is a federally funded program designed to provide health care for Americans 65 and older. Physicians like Dr. Poroger can only bill for services that are medically necessary and provided. Obviously billing for services not performed is fraud.
Whistleblowers who come forward with cases like these may be entitled to a percentage of what the government collects. In addition to charging Poroger criminally, the feds are also seeking to get back the money improperly paid out.
There is a post Civil War statute – the false claims act – that allows people with information about a fraud against the taxpayers to bring an action in the name of the government to get back the money improperly paid. Whistleblowers can receive between 15% and 30% of the money collected. If you know of health care fraud, mortgage fraud or other fraud against the taxpayers, give us a call. We may be able to help you bring a claim.
The fraud recovery lawyers at Mahany Law currently have a $2.5 billion case pending against Allied Home Mortgage Corporation. The government took up our case on November 1st. While cases that size are very rare, Medicare cases involving false billing by doctors and clinics often add up to millions of dollars quite quickly.
Ready to see if you are eligible for an award? Contact attorney Brian Mahany at (414) 704-6731 (direct) or by email at . The call is confidential and without any obligation. We also urge you to visit our Medicare fraud whistleblower page for additional information.
Mahany Law – America’s Fraud Fighters. We are a national boutique whistleblower law firm. Cases handled nationwide.