The federal government indicted four people in connection with a $7.8 million healthcare fraud conspiracy at Birmingham, Ala.-based Care Complete Medical Clinic.
Here's what you should know.
1. Investigators charged Patrick Ifediba, MD, Uchenna Ifediba, MD, Ngozi Ozuligbo and Clement Ebio with healthcare fraud conspiracy. The defendants were also charged with unlawful drug distribution and money laundering.
2. Investigators allege the physicians used their prescribing authority to force opioid-dependent patients to submit to unnecessary treatments to obtain narcotic prescriptions. The physicians and their support staff then billed the government for these unnecessary services.
3. In addition, Dr. Uchenna Ifediba made a false statement in connection with healthcare matters.
4. The FBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency led a joint investigation into the case. U.S. attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Jim Weil will prosecute the case.