Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Your physician may be a hard worker, but can you say he works more than 24 hours in a day?

That’s doubtful—and what led to the indictment against a Texas physician who is accused of billing over 4,970 false and fraudulent bills to Medicare and Medicaid totaling over $1.4 million.

The doctor is alleged to have billed for medical services performed on patients who had already passed away. In addition, "he also billed for medical services he claimed to have personally provided to patients in Texas on days when he was overseas or in another state. The indictment alleges that the doctor billed for medical services that would have required him to have personally worked more than 24 hours in a single day."

The doctor was indicted on nine counts of health care fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine on conviction.

To read more about the case, visit www.oag.state.tx.us/oagnews/release.php?id=4552.