A federal jury in Baltimore convicted a Maryland physician right this moment for submitting over $15 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and a business insurer for sufferers who obtained COVID-19 checks at his testing websites.
In keeping with courtroom paperwork and proof offered at trial, Ron Elfenbein, 49, of Arnold, was an proprietor and the medical director of Drs ERgent Care LLC, dba First Name Medical Heart and Chesapeake ERgent Care. Drs ERgent Care operated a number of drive-through COVID-19 testing websites in Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties. Elfenbein instructed the workers of Drs ERgent Care that, along with billing for COVID-19 checks, the workers have been to invoice for high-level analysis and administration visits. In actuality, these visits weren’t supplied to sufferers as represented. Slightly, Elfenbein instructed his staff that the sufferers have been “there for one cause solely – to be examined,” that it was “easy and easy,” and that the suppliers have been “not there to resolve advanced medical points.”
Elfenbein ordered these high-level visits to be billed for all sufferers, together with those that have been asymptomatic, who have been getting examined for COVID-19 for his or her employment necessities, and who have been being examined for COVID-19 in order that they may journey. Elfenbein, by means of Drs ERgent Care, brought about the submission of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in claims to Medicare and a business insurer for tens of 1000’s of high-level visits that weren’t supplied as represented and have been ineligible for reimbursement.
The jury convicted Elfenbein of 5 counts of well being care fraud. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7 and faces a most penalty of 10 years in jail on every rely. Elfenbein is the primary physician convicted at trial by the Justice Division for well being care fraud in billing for workplace visits in reference to sufferers looking for COVID-19 checks. A federal district courtroom decide will decide any sentence after contemplating the U.S. Sentencing Tips and different statutory elements.
Assistant Legal professional Basic Kenneth A. Well mannered, Jr. of the Justice Division’s Legal Division; U.S. Legal professional Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland; Particular Agent in Cost Maureen Dixon of the the Division of Well being and Human Companies Workplace of Inspector Basic (HHS-OIG); Particular Agent in Cost Christopher Dillard of the Division of Protection Workplace of Inspector Basic, Protection Legal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Subject Workplace; Particular Agent in Cost Thomas Sobocinski of the FBI Baltimore Subject Workplace; and Deputy Assistant Inspector Basic for Investigations Conrad J. Quarles of the Workplace of Personnel Administration Workplace of the Inspector Basic (OPM-OIG) made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG, DCIS, FBI, and OPM-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Legal professional D. Keith Clouser of the Legal Division’s Fraud Part and Assistant U.S. Legal professional Matthew P. Phelps for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Part leads the Legal Division’s efforts to fight well being care fraud by means of the Well being Care Fraud Strike Pressure Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces working in 25 federal districts, has charged greater than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for greater than $24 billion. As well as, the Facilities for Medicare & Medicaid Companies, working together with the Workplace of the Inspector Basic for the Division of Well being and Human Companies, are taking steps to carry suppliers accountable for his or her involvement in well being care fraud schemes. Extra info will be discovered at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Prior to now three years, the Well being Care Fraud Strike Pressure has rooted out well being care fraud associated to the COVID-19 pandemic. To this point, 53 defendants have been charged in nationwide COVID-19 Well being Care Fraud Enforcement Actions for inflicting over $784 million in loss related to the pandemic, together with this case.
