Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

A Pennsylvania physician who made his name running a physical therapy and rehab practice was sentenced to 25 years in prison this week for distributing a controlled substance resulting in death, and over 300 counts stemming from a “pill mill” operation, the Department of Justice reported in a Sept. 24 news release.

The 73-year-old doctor “conspired with six separate groups of drug dealers…the operation resulted in the illegal distribution of more than 700,000 pills containing oxycodone,” the DOJ notes. As part of the scheme, “patients” would come to the office and pay an office visit of about $150; in turn, the doctor would write prescriptions for them despite the fact that they didn’t have a medical reason for the painkillers. “The drugs were then turned over to the drug dealers so their organizations could sell the narcotics to numerous drug dealers who resold the drugs on the street,” the DOJ added.

To read more about the case, visit www.justice.gov/usao/pae/News/2013/September/werthersentence_release.htm.