Dive Brief:
- In what investigators have said is the biggest home healthcare fraud case, a federal jury convicted a Dallas doctor Jacques Roy Wednesday for an alleged processing of almost $375 million in false Medicare and Medicaid claims by "selling his signature," The Associated Press reported.
- After the jury deliberated for 14 hours in two days, Roy was found to be guilty of eight counts of committing healthcare fraud and one of conspiracy - each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
- Between January 2006 and November 2011, Roy certified 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries through more than 500 home health providers. Sentencing is scheduled for later this Fall.
Dive Insight:
Although the alleged scheme went on for years before being investigated, Miranda Bennett, assistant special agent in the Dallas HHS office, said it was because of the conspiracy's complexity and sophistication.
Evidence introduced in the trial showed that Cynthia Stiger, Wilbert James Veasey, and Charity Eleda, who were also convicted of conspiracy among other charges, had signed up Medicare clients for home healthcare services. Records then falsely showed nursing services were being provided, and Roy performed home visits and ordered medical services that were not needed, according to the AP.
"This office will continue to use the most sophisticated techniques available to aggressively prosecute those who, through their fraud, drive up the costs of healthcare to consumers and taxpayers alike," U.S. Attorney John Parker said in a statement.