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Physical Therapy Clinic Owner Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Scheme

Physical Therapy Clinic Owner Sentenced for Health Care Fraud Scheme
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In a significant case of health care fraud, an owner of several physical therapy clinics was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison on May 23, 2024. The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, concerned  a scheme in which the owner submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare and private insurers for services that were never provided. For example, according to the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, the defendant billed $50,000 in claims on dates when he was gambling at casinos, and $150,000 when he “was traveling in South Korea, Los Angeles and Toronto.” The investigation uncovered that the owner falsely billed for services under the name of one of his employees, and for services where he listed himself “as both the patient and the servicing physical therapist.” In total, the fraudulent claims exceeded $1,000,000.