Indian-Origin Doctor Couple Convicted of $2.5 Million Health Care Fraud in US

The Ajrawats filed claims for procedures that were either not performed at their pain management clinic or less expensive procedures were performed.

An Indian-origin doctor couple, Paramjit Singh Ajrawat, 60, and his wife Sukhveen Kaur Ajrawat, 57, who operated Washington Pain Management Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, were charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud federal health benefit programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE. A federal jury in the United States has convicted them of a $2.5 million health care fraud, suggested a media report.

Paramjit is a licensed physician in Maryland who specializes in interventional pain management, while Sukhveen Kaur is a psychiatrist. The prosecutors claimed that the Ajrawats defrauded the US government of at least $2.5 million. The doctor couple was also found guilty of wire fraud, obstruction of justice and aggravated identity theft.

Are Medicaid Policies Sentencing Individuals With Mental Illnesses to Prison?
At the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, researchers have linked tighter Medicaid policies governing antipsychotic drugs with increased incarceration rates for schizophrenic individuals.

Prosecutors said, "The Ajrawats filed claims for procedures that were either not performed at their pain management clinic or less expensive procedures were performed. The couple falsely billed for procedures that provided for higher reimbursements."

The couple was indicted by the US authorities in June 2014 and face a maximum 10 years in prison. The sentencing is set for February 1, 2016.

Source-IANS

Expanding Medicaid Shows No Improvement in Physical Health
At the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, new findings show that Medicaid coverage had no detectable effect on the prevalence of diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

Obama Wants US Military to Pay More Health Insurance Premiums, Leaves Civil Defense Untouched
In the proposed defense budget for 2012, the Obama administration has called for a sharp hike in health insurance premiums for military families and retirees.

Medicare Beneficiaries Substantially More Likely to Use Brand-name Drugs Than VA Patients: Study
According to a study, Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes are two to three times more likely to use expensive brand-name drugs than a comparable group of patients.