Texas Doctor and Hospital Owner Convicted in $20 Million Healthcare Fraud Scheme

[nitpicker]

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/texas-doctor-and-hospital-owner-convicted-20-million-healthcare-fraud-scheme

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of Texas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 22, 2019

Texas Doctor and Hospital Owner Convicted in $20 Million Healthcare Fraud Scheme

HOUSTON – A federal jury has convicted a 50-year-old internal medicine doctor and 47-year-old hospital owner of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, 17 counts of health care fraud and three counts of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. The jury deliberated for less than four hours following a two-week trial before convicting Dr. Harcharan Narang and Dayakar Moparty.

Narang, a doctor who owned and practiced at North Cypress Clinical Associates, and Dayakar Moparty, who managed and operated Red Oak Hospital, conspired to commit health care fraud. During trial, the jury heard evidence that Narang and Moparty unlawfully enriched themselves by submitting false and fraudulent claims for medical tests that were not medically necessary, not provided or both and then billed at Red Oak Hospital at a higher reimbursement rate.

Additionally, Narang and his co-conspirators falsified home health patient assessment form documents to make the beneficiaries appear sicker on paper to receive higher reimbursement rates from health care benefit programs such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and Aetna. Moparty also also instructed his employees to falsely bill the medical services at Red Oak Hospital and other entities associated with Moparty, when in fact, the patients never received services from Red Oak and the other entities.

At trial, patients consistently testified that they had merely but a Groupon for weight loss shots. However, after meeting with Narang, they all received the same battery of medical tests that were not needed or provided. Health care benefit programs paid Red Oak Hospital approximately $3.2 million. Moparty then covertly paid Narang approximately $3 million to various corporate entities Narang owned.
(snip)

[c-rational]

1. There was an interesting article in the New Yorker about a whistleblower in a Medicare

Advantage program in Florida. Elements of cherry picking only healthy people, false reporting and false testing. The whistle blower paid a heavy price, stress,loss of employment and eventually death due to an accident at home. He was as I remember under 40. It would appear the Advantage programs are not worthwhile likely abused and their legislation most likely written by insurance lobbyists. As the medical profession nor the insurance companies are actually not interested in societal health, it would appear the next time we have a Dem President he should declare a national health emergency and provide universal coverage.

[skamaria]

2. An yet Rick Scott stole billions an became a Govenor and Senator!

There are several layers of law, depending on your social and economic status!