A Massachusetts orthopedic surgeon was indicted on 11 counts of healthcare fraud for an alleged upcoding scheme, according to the Justice Department.
Olarewaju Oladipo, MD, is accused of falsely billing for patient visits from January 2016-December 2019, according to a March 22 news release.
Dr. Oladipo allegedly falsified medical records for patient visits to reflect examinations and services that were not performed, according to the release.
He allegedly frequently billed for more than 60 patients a day and sometimes more than 90. Many, if not most, of Dr. Oladipo's patient visits on such days could have lasted only five minutes or less, the Justice Department said. Dr. Oladipo allegedly used billing codes that corresponded to visits of 15, 25, 30 or even 45 minutes.
The Justice Department also alleged Dr. Oladipo ensured a high flow of patients to his practice prescribing opioids at a rate that made him one of the top prescribers in the state.
If Dr. Oladipo is found guilty, he could face up to 10 years in prison for each count.