Joplin, Mo.-based pain management physician Heather Stelling, MD, was convicted for healthcare fraud and must pay $146,026 to Medicare and Medicaid, the Joplin Globe reported Sept. 15.
Dr. Stelling, who owned and operated a practice, had her license suspended in 2018 after she failed to file or pay any state income taxes for three years. She continued to practice medicine despite having been informed she needed to obtain a certificate of tax compliance to do so.
She billed Medicare and Medicaid for services during the 12 days her license was suspended and falsely claimed dates of services outside that period of suspension, according to the report.
Dr. Stelling was placed on five years of probation for making a false statement to a healthcare benefit program. She must pay $127,750 to federal Medicare and $18,276 to Missouri's Medicaid program.