An East Baton Rouge, La.-based physician pleaded guilty to his role in a $1.3 million Medicare fraud scheme, The Advocate reported Dec. 28.
Robert Dean, MD, allegedly falsified medical orders for knees braces, claiming he examined and performed tests on patients that he never met face-to-face, according to the report.
From 2017 to 2019, Dr. Dean contracted with telemedicine companies that paid him $30 every time he approved a patient's medical paperwork for durable medical equipment, according to the report. The telemedicine companies then sold the fraudulent orders to DME suppliers that used them to submit more than $1.3 million in Medicare reimbursements. The suppliers received more than $715,000 in reimbursements, and Dr. Dean made $108,400 for his role.
Dr. Dean faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the report. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 16.