A father and son have been sentenced to 65 months and 12 months, respectively, for fraudulently receiving $21 million in Medicare payments.
Anthony Duane Bell Sr., 55, and Anthony Duane Bell Jr., 33, billed Medicare for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment such as knee, ankle, shoulder, wrist and back braces, according to a March 11 news release from the Justice Department.
The pair created two medical equipment companies and entered sham agreements with marketing companies. The marketing companies would provide packets of information about Medicare beneficiaries, including personal information, medical history, Medicare number and an audio recording between a call center and the patient, in which the patient supposedly agreed to accept a brace. The Bells bought thousands of these packets and used them to bill Medicare.
Mr. Bell Sr. must also pay $21.7 million in restitution to Medicare and forfeit $806,375 and a luxury house. According to the report, he intended to defraud Medicare of $46 million and received over $21 million.