Two people were arrested in Texas for allegedly submitting fake COVID-19 testing claims to seven payers, totaling more than $7 million in fraudulent claims, the Justice Department said.
According to a Dec. 16 news release, Terrance Bernard, 39, and Connie Jo Clampitt, 51, allegedly owned several fake laboratories. The justice department alleges Mr. Bernard used his position as a contract lab technician at multiple clinics to obtain patients names, addresses, dates of births and insurance information.
Mr. Bernard and Ms. Clampitt then used this information to submit false claims to the patients' insurance companies, purporting they had COVID-19 tests done at their fake laboratories, the Justice Department said.
The pair submitted claims to multiple payers, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Molina Health Care. The Justice Department said Mr. Bernard and Ms. Clampitt received more than $7 million in payments.
Mr. Bernard and Ms. Clampitt face multiple charges, including one count each of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, 10 counts each of healthcare fraud, seven counts each of aggravated identity theft and one count each of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The pair faces up to 10 years prison for each count of healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and up to two years prison for each count of aggravated identity theft.