ID :
164205
Sat, 02/26/2011 - 13:17
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/164205
The shortlink copeid
Indian-origin woman doctor jailed for healthcare fraud in US
Yoshita Singh
Boston, Feb 26 (PTI) An Indian-origin doctor has been
sentenced to eight years in prison for committing healthcare
fraud along with her husband by a US court, which also ordered
the couple to forfeit over USD 43 million in cash and property
they gained through their 10-year scam.
Kiran Sharma, 56, had pleaded guilty to one count of
conspiracy and one count of healthcare fraud last year.
Her husband, Arun Sharma, also a doctor, was sentenced to
15 years in prison earlier this month for fraudulently billing
government insurance programme Medicare, Medicaid and various
private healthcare providers for medical procedures that were
not performed, US Attorney Jose Angel Moreno said in a
statement.
The Texas couple have been ordered by US District Judge
David Hittner to forfeit more than 43 million dollars,
including their 700,000 dollar home in Texas, more than
700,000 dollars in cash found during a search of their home,
over 800,000 dollars in cash found in two safe deposit boxes
and a number of investment accounts funded with the proceeds
of their fraudulent scheme.
Sharma has been remanded into the custody of the US
Marshals Service to begin serving her eight-year sentence.
The couple had pleaded guilty in April 2010.
Arun Sharma too is in federal custody following his
sentencing pending designation and transfer to a Bureau of
Prisons facility.
During 1998-2009, the couple owned and operated multiple
medical clinics under the name Allergy, Asthma, Arthritis Pain
Centre.
Kiran Sharma, who maintained an allergy practice, would
sign patient procedure forms and superbills, falsely
indicating that she had administered injections to the
patients when in reality she did not.
She also hired several foreign medical graduates who
helped add fictitious patient examination information to the
blank progress/procedure notes.
Her husband also made patients sign blank procedure notes
and then billed insurance companies for injection procedures
for days when the patient was not in the clinic.
Boston, Feb 26 (PTI) An Indian-origin doctor has been
sentenced to eight years in prison for committing healthcare
fraud along with her husband by a US court, which also ordered
the couple to forfeit over USD 43 million in cash and property
they gained through their 10-year scam.
Kiran Sharma, 56, had pleaded guilty to one count of
conspiracy and one count of healthcare fraud last year.
Her husband, Arun Sharma, also a doctor, was sentenced to
15 years in prison earlier this month for fraudulently billing
government insurance programme Medicare, Medicaid and various
private healthcare providers for medical procedures that were
not performed, US Attorney Jose Angel Moreno said in a
statement.
The Texas couple have been ordered by US District Judge
David Hittner to forfeit more than 43 million dollars,
including their 700,000 dollar home in Texas, more than
700,000 dollars in cash found during a search of their home,
over 800,000 dollars in cash found in two safe deposit boxes
and a number of investment accounts funded with the proceeds
of their fraudulent scheme.
Sharma has been remanded into the custody of the US
Marshals Service to begin serving her eight-year sentence.
The couple had pleaded guilty in April 2010.
Arun Sharma too is in federal custody following his
sentencing pending designation and transfer to a Bureau of
Prisons facility.
During 1998-2009, the couple owned and operated multiple
medical clinics under the name Allergy, Asthma, Arthritis Pain
Centre.
Kiran Sharma, who maintained an allergy practice, would
sign patient procedure forms and superbills, falsely
indicating that she had administered injections to the
patients when in reality she did not.
She also hired several foreign medical graduates who
helped add fictitious patient examination information to the
blank progress/procedure notes.
Her husband also made patients sign blank procedure notes
and then billed insurance companies for injection procedures
for days when the patient was not in the clinic.
