Medical Professionals misuse saliva & blood samples to defraud $143M

"These medical professionals, corporate executives, and others allegedly took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to line their own pockets instead of providing needed health care services during this unprecedented time in our country," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said. "We are determined to hold those who exploit such programs accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

"For example, multiple defendants offered COVID-19 tests to Medicare beneficiaries at senior living facilities, drive-through COVID-19 testing sites, and medical offices to induce the beneficiaries to provide their personal identifying information and a saliva or blood sample," the DOJ said. "The defendants are alleged to have then misused the information and samples to submit claims to Medicare for unrelated, medically unnecessary, and far more expensive laboratory tests, including cancer genetic testing, allergy testing, and respiratory pathogen panel tests." The DOJ said the proceeds of the schemes were allegedly laundered through shell corporations and used to buy exotic cars and luxury real estate.

Here are some of the cases the DOJ announced it is prosecuting:

In Arkansas, a man who owns two testing laboratories was charged with health-care fraud in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud the U.S. of more than $88 million. The man allegedly used access to beneficiary and medical provider information from prior lab testing orders to submit hundreds of fraudulent claims for urine, drug and other tests. Some of the falsely submitted claims were for beneficiaries who were already dead.

The DOJ news release said the defendants "allegedly used an elaborate network of international money laundering operations to conceal and disguise the proceeds of the scheme."

CNBC article



Do you think these doctors just came up with this scheme during the COVID19 pandemic, or did they already have this network in place?

Do you think these are the only doctors defrauding the government?

Do you think schemes like these incentivize doctors and hospitals to extend the COVID pandemic?


Wake up, people!