Three Ohio physicians face charges for allegedly partaking in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid, the Department of Justice said Feb. 1.
Samir Wahib, DO, and Joni Canby, DO, were charged in an 11-count indictment for allegedly billing Medicare and Medicaid for testing that wasn't medically necessary. Michelle Kapon, MD, was also named in the indictment, but was charged separately in a bill of information for allegedly conspiring with Drs. Wahib and Canby to accept kickbacks from Dr. Wahib.
The indictment accuses Dr. Wahib of conspiring to pay kickbacks to Drs. Canby and Kapon to induce them to order gonorrhea and chlamydia testing for their patients that would be completed by Dr. Wahib. Dr. Wahib billed Medicare and Medicaid for the tests and paid Drs. Canby and Kapon per specimen they sent him for testing, the indictment alleges.
The alleged scheme took place from March 2014 to January 2017, according to the indictment.