A physician from Slidell, La., was charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to bill Medicare for unnecessary cancer genetic tests.
Four things to know:
1. Robert Tassin, MD, 64, worked as an independent contractor for several purported telemedicine companies, according to a March 11 Justice Department news release. From February 2019 through September 2019, Dr. Tassin allegedly signed orders for CGx tests for Medicare beneficiaries he never saw or treated.
2. The Justice Department alleged that Dr. Tassin's orders resulted in more than $6.6 million false claims submitted to Medicare, of which Medicare reimbursed more than $2 million.
3. In exchange for electronically reviewing patient charts and ordering the tests, Dr. Tassin was allegedly paid a set fee per order, typically $30, totaling $106,757, according to the release.
4. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.