NEW YORK – An Indo-American couple, who owned a mobile diagnostic company, admitted falsifying thousands of reports as part of a USD 4.3 million healthcare fraud scheme.
Nita Patel and Kirtish Patel, both 53, of New Jersey pleaded guilty before US District Judge William Walls to separate informations charging them each with one count of healthcare fraud.
The two admitted receiving more than USD 4.3 million from insurance companies for diagnostics and reports that were never interpreted by a licensed physician, US Attorney Paul Fishman said.
Kirtish admitted to, from October 2008 through June 2014, fraudulently interpreting and writing diagnostic reports produced by his company despite having no medical license and knowing that the reports would be used by the referring physicians to make important patient treatment decisions.
Nita admitted assisting her husband in forging physician signatures on the fraudulently produced reports to make them appear legitimate.
They also admitted falsely representing to federal insurance programme Medicare that the neurological testing performed by their company was being supervised by a licensed neurologist.
More than half of the diagnostic reports generated by the Patels between October 2008 and June 2014 were never actually reviewed or interpreted by a physician.
The couple was paid more than USD 4.3 million by Medicare and private insurance companies for the fraudulent reports, which they used for personal expenses, including multiple residences and luxury vehicles.
The healthcare fraud charge to which the Patels pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a USD 250,000 fine.
