From: judgebean23x@gmail.com   
      
   More Than 2 Dozen Busted In A Massive North Texas Healthcare Fraud Scheme   
   Posted on May 18, 2016   
      
      
   DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — Two licensed professional counselors from the   
   Dallas-Fort Worth area have pleaded guilty to their roles in a massive health   
   care fraud scheme that involved bribes, unnecessary medical treatment,   
   fraudulent billing, and the    
   falsification of medical documents to fraudulently bill the federal government   
   through Worker Compensation Programs to the tune of more than $9.5 million.   
      
   According to U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas, the   
   lead defendant in the case Larry Washington of Desoto, pleaded guilty to one   
   count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He was sentenced to 6 1/2   
   years in federal prison    
   and ordered to pay approximately $7.7 million in restitution. Washington ran   
   businesses known as AAA Mental Health, LLC, Mind Spa, Inc., Solutions Health   
   and Rehabilitation, and Convergence Emergence Diversion.   
      
   Another licensed professional counselor, Henrietta Price of Cedar Hill, was   
   given six months home confinement, three years of probation and must pay   
   almost $200,000 in restitution. She also pleaded guilty to one count of   
   conspiracy to commit health care    
   fraud. Price provided counseling services at Mind Spa, Inc. and also treated   
   patients at her own company, Lifeline Counseling.   
      
   Through his businesses, Washington provided patients with counseling, pain   
   management, chiropractic services, physical therapy and massage services. He   
   sought out and recruited his patients who were former postal and VA employees   
   who had suffered on-the-   
   job injuries that prevented them from returning to work. Washington knew that   
   even though these individuals had once suffered a work-related injury, their   
   injuries were not severe enough to warrant continued OWCP payments.   
      
   Twenty-one claimants, four doctors or medical providers, a senior claims   
   examiner at DOL, a claims representative, and a medical provider’s employee   
   were charged in the scheme. All but two defendants have pleaded guilty to   
   their roles in the scheme.   
      
   In total, the defendants were able to collectively fraudulently bill the   
   federal government through the OWCP for more than $9.5 million and receive   
   more than $8.7 million in government payments based on their fraudulent   
   billing. The DOL made    
   approximately $11.4 million in payments to these claimants for their   
   compensation and medical services. The government anticipates that as a result   
   of the convictions it will also prevent the payment of an estimated $11   
   million in future payments.   
      
   Prosecutors say the scheme began with former or current U.S. postal employees   
   or Veterans Affairs employees who claimed they had been injured during the   
   course of their work duties. Each of these government workers claimed they had   
   suffered an on-the-job    
   injury which prevented them from returning to work.   
      
   Under OWCP, these “claimants” could receive workers’ compensation   
   payments and paid medical treatment…if a qualified doctor deemed the medical   
   services necessary and if the injury prevented the claimant from working.   
      
   A DOL claims examiner would review the claim and either approve or reject it.   
   In certain cases if an on-the-job injury caused permanent damage a claimant   
   could have received a “scheduled award” – a lump sum payment to   
   compensate that individual for    
   their injury. These awards often amounted to several hundred thousand dollars.   
   These “claims representatives” either charged claimants a percentage of   
   any paid claim or a flat rate fee. When doctors or other medical providers   
   treated the claimants,    
   they could bill OWCP for their work.   
      
   The investigation was led by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector   
   General and the Department of Labor with assistance from Internal Revenue   
   Service Criminal Investigation, U.S. Treasury Office, Social Security   
   Administration Investigations Unit,    
   and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.   
      
   Copyright 2016. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.   
      
   Filed Under: 24/7 Newsroom News, WBAP 24/7 News   
      
      
   http://www.wbap.com/2016/05/18/more-than-2-dozen-busted-in-a-mas   
   ive-north-texas-healthcare-fraud-scheme/   
      
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