Dive Brief:
- Rafael Chikvashvili, CEO and co-owner of Maryland-based Alpha Diagnostics, was found guilty of healthcare fraud and participation in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. He allegedly conspired to create false radiology, ultrasound, and cardiologic interpretive reports.
- Chikvashvili allegedly instructed nonphysician employees to interpret X-rays, ultrasounds, and cardiologic exams - which resulted in two deaths.
- In both cases, diagnostic images were read incorrectly and failed to detect congestive heart failure.
Dive Insight:
According to the Department of Justice, Chikvashvili and others allegedly defrauded Medicare and Medicaid more than $7.5 million between 1997 and 2013. He was also found guilty of wire fraud, false statements, and aggravated identity theft and faces a maximum life sentence for each of the two counts of healthcare fraud.
Additional sentences include 10 years in prison for each of nine counts of healthcare fraud; 20 years for each of eight counts of wire fraud and for conspiracy; a maximum of five years for each of 11 counts of false statements relating to healthcare matters; and a mandatory two years for two counts of aggravated identity theft.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Rod J. Rosenstein said, "The jury found that two patients died because their X-rays were not reviewed by a qualified radiologist. Healthcare fraud has consequences, in money wasted and lives lost."