 A physician is facing up to 60 years in prison after a jury convicted him of Medicare fraud. Dr. Augustus Ohemeng was found guilty of six counts health care fraud based on evidence that he wrote unnecessary prescriptions for medical equipment and nutritional supplies that were never provided to patients. According to the government, the doctor’s prescription fraud caused Medicare to pay $3 million in false and fraudulent claims for durable medical equipment (DME) and nutritional supplies. As medical director of a clinic, the doctor allegedly recruited Medicare patients and billed Medicare for unnecessary tests and procedures. He also wrote prescriptions for enteral nutritional supplies and durable medical equipment such as expensive power wheel chairs that patents did not require. Those prescriptions were sold to medical supply companies, which used the fraudulent prescriptions to bill Medicare for medical supplies that were not necessary and not actually delivered to patients. According to the government, nearly all the prescriptions for power wheelchairs were written for patients who could walk. In many instances, the doctor signed blank prescription forms and his office manager filled in the details. Over the course of four years, the doctor wrote hundreds of unnecessary prescriptions, resulting $5.6 million worth of false and fraudulent Medicare claims. Medicare paid out $2.97 million on those claims. Medicare and Medicaid fraud penalties can be severe, especially in DME fraud and prescription fraud cases. In this case, the doctor faces a possible sentence of up to 60 years in federal prison. Dr. Ohemeng is the last of 10 defendants who were charged in this Medicare fraud scheme. The other nine -- including two other doctors, a nurse, and the owner of a medical supply company -- have been convicted of crimes either by pleading guilty or as the result of a jury verdict after trial. If you are facing a Medicare fraud investigation, or if you have been charged with a crime, then you should consult with an experienced Medicaid and Medicare fraud lawyer to protect yourself. Do not try to handle this on your own or with a lawyer who does not understand the complex laws and regulations governing Medicare and Medicaid. The government will have tremendous resources on its side – including the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other state and federal agencies. You need an experienced Medicare fraud lawyer on your side. To arrange a free and confidential consultation with an experienced Medicaid and Medicare fraud lawyer, call John Howley, Esq. at (212) 601-2728 or click here to reach our office via email. John Howley, Esq. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. I invite you to contact our law offices and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. I practice law and offer legal services only in jurisdictions where I am properly authorized to do so. I do not seek to represent anyone in any jurisdiction where this web site does not comply with applicable laws and bar rules.
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