A Texas physician was convicted by a federal jury for his involvement in the submission of more than $70 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare for unnecessary orthopedic braces and tests.
David Young, MD, 61, a geriatric medicine specialist in Fredericksburg, Texas, signed thousands of medical records and prescribed orthotic braces and genetic tests that were not medically necessary to more than 13,000 Medicare beneficiaries, many of whom he had never seen or treated, according to a May 24 news release from the Justice Department.
Medical supply companies and laboratories billed Medicare for more than $70 million for the braces and tests, and Dr. Young earned about $475,000 in exchange for the fraudulent prescriptions, according to the press release.
Dr. Young was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and three counts of false statements related to healthcare matters, according to the release. He faces a maximum total of 25 years in federal prison.