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March 17, 2006
Eye Doc Guilty Of False Claims For Services To Disabled
A former ophthalmologist has agreed to pay $1,015,817 to resolve both civil fraud charges and a remaining criminal restitution obligation to the United States based on his filing false statements with Medicare to obtain reimbursement to which he was not entitled.
According to the civil complaint and superseding indictment, Shaul Debbi's medical practice consisted of treating patients in adult homes in New York City and Long Island. These adult homes are long-term residential facilities housing individuals who suffer from various disabilities, including mental and emotional disabilities. Both the civil complaint and superseding indictment charge that Debbi submitted false claims to Medicare for ophthamological services he purportedly provided to the residents of the adult homes, and that Debbi also arranged for a physician's assistant he employed to examine residents in the adult homes when Debbi was not there. It's further charged that he subsequently billed Medicare for services provided by the physician's assistant as if Debbi himself had performed the services.
Posted by Michelle at March 17, 2006 02:43 PM