A Texas man has been charged in a $60 million scheme in which he allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary products and services.
Robert Leon Smith, 48, who owned and operated a network of durable medical equipment companies in Florida, Texas and Maryland, allegedly billed Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces, according to a Dec. 14 news release from the U.S. Justice Department.
He also allegedly referred physicians' orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces, genetic tests and foot bath medications to other suppliers in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.
According to the report, he paid kickbacks and bribes to offshore call centers operated by his co-conspirators in exchange for Medicare beneficiary information and physician orders. The centers used "deceptive tactics" to pressure Medicare patients to accept the medically unnecessary products. He also allegedly paid kickbacks to purported telemedicine companies for physician orders signed by practitioners who did not treat patients.
Mr. Smith is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, four counts of healthcare fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks, and two counts of solicitation and receipt of healthcare kickbacks.