A Florida chiropractor and surgeon were convicted of a $31 million scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for medically unnecessary medical equipment.
According to a Jan. 30 press release from the Justice Department, Dean Zusmer, 54, was a chiropractor and owned a durable medical equipment company. Mr. Zusmer and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks to marketers for patient referrals and signed physicians' orders for unnecessary braces.
Lawrence Alexander, MD, 45, was another co-conspirator in the scheme, according to the Justice Department. Dr. Alexander co-owned one of the durable medical equipment companies and concealed his role in the scheme by putting the company in the name of a family member.
Mr. Zusmer was convicted of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud, conspiracy to pay illegal healthcare kickbacks, paying illegal healthcare kickbacks and false statements relating to healthcare matters.
Dr. Alexander was convicted of false statements relating to healthcare matters. Both men are scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, the Justice Department said.
Jeremy Waxman, another co-conspirator, was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in the scheme.