Becker's has reported on three physician or physician assistant fraud cases since Oct. 6.
1. Daniel Canchola, MD, pleaded guilty for his role in a $54 million Medicare fraud scheme. From August 2018 to April 2019, Dr. Canchola, 49, of Flower Mound, Texas, signed orders for durable medical equipment and cancer genetic testing that he knew were used to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. He received about $30 in exchange for each order, totaling more than $466,000.
2. New York physician Ahmad Meldi, MD, will pay $568,750 to New York to settle claims he upcoded smoking cessation services.
Dr. Meldi owned a general medical practice with offices in Groton and Tully, N.Y. Dr. Meldi allegedly upcoded bills for medical services and smoking cessation counseling that was not documented. Dr. Meldi submitted these claims to the state's Medicaid program between 2012 and 2018.
3. Willingboro, N.J.-based former physician assistant Aaron Jones, 28, was sentenced to two years in prison for a scheme that defrauded payers millions of dollars. Mr. Jones, who pleaded guilty in March, was also ordered to pay $1.04 million in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
Mr. Jones, along with co-conspirator Steven Monaco, contributed to $1 million being lost by the state insurance plan. Mr. Jones helped drive Mr. Monaco's plan in having Stratford, N.J.-based physician Michael Goldis, MD, fill prescriptions for unnecessary compound medications to receive large reimbursements.